Sengoku Maidens
by Tachman
Summary: Since ancient times the vaunted Samurai and their Commanders have led their clans to victory and glory! Now in a time of change and dwindling numbers, they strive to find their place in a new world and with each other. A NaruHarem story with a NaruSaku focus. Romance/Humor/Action. (Based on Hyakka Ryouran: Samurai Girls) Rated M for safety.
1. Chapter 1

**Sengoku Maidens**

 **Early AN: Hi everyone this is yours truly with a new story for your entertainment!**

 **As I have previously announced in my Sengoku Naruto story, this story will be inspired by the Hyakka Ryuoran Samurai Girls Light Novel / Manga miniseries / Anime. Which basically presents girls who become super powered over the top warriors through the kiss of a man deemed a General.**

 **My story though won't have cross over characters and hopefully will develop its own story along the way. As in my previous projects, it's just the concept I am borrowing while filling it with our beloved Naruto verse characters in my own original plot. And as before this one will be a Harem story with a main romance NaruSaku**

 **I had originally written a first very long chapter for this story and was on the process of editing and polishing when Kishimoto betrayed all logic and went for a very forced NaruHina ending just to please his corporate masters and the guys from Studio Pierrot. So I decided, out of pettiness I admit, to stamp out the Hinata character out of every single one of my new projects and replace her with other characters from either the manga or the anime (Filler episodes and movies) when fitting. Hinata was after all a secondary background character…**

 **Now to the story at hand, the world is that from the Naruto verse with the Elemental Lands and different locations and the time period would be something like the early Meiji period of Japan's history when the country went through a period of modernization in which a feudal society transformed into an industrialized one. So expect to see stuff like firearms and steam powered machinery.**

 **Now a small overview of terms for you to become well acquainted with the story:**

 **-There is no Chakra, there is Ki. It is essentially the same as Chakra and here it basically powers up both the Samurai and their Generals. Ki is found not only in people but animals, plants and large things like mountains, lakes, oceans and so on.**

 **-Ashigaru is the term I'll be giving both Samurai and Daimyo hopefuls.**

 **-Generals will be named Daimyo which is, I believe a title given to the warlords of the Japanese Sengoku period.**

 **-A Shogun is basically the same as a Kage and rules over the Land's other Samurai and Daimyo along with the entire civilian population. Basically a dictatorship like the one found in the Tokugawa period of Japan's history.**

 **-The world is that of Naruto, which basically is the Elemental Lands found in several maps of the Naruto verse. I use one I found to be made exceptionally well in deviantart, if you wish me to tell you which please PM me.**

 **-The Samurai girls will use a varied assortment of weapons as just using Katanas is rather plain and boring in my opinion.**

 **Now without further ado, here is Sengoku Maidens first chapter!**

 **Chapter 1: Samurai and Daimyo**

"Give him back…" said in a low voice a woman of messy long pink hair as she rose from her knees holding a Naginata in a bloodied fist that tightened its grip on the weapon making her knuckles go white.

"Give him back…" she repeated lifting a face smeared in dirt and tears with bloodshot eyes that observed a line of black armored men close the distance in perfect step and without showing any hesitation about their advance.

Letting a growl out the girl bared her clenched teeth as a faint dark red glow covered her entire figure and bringing back the Naginata she brought it forth in a wide arc as the edge of the weapon flared to life with a bright red light that at the swipe of the blade in front of the warriors made the light materialize and create a crescent of pure energy that clove the front ranks of warriors apart and as far as ten men behind them.

"Give him back!" wailed the girl as more warriors began their approach trampling over the remains of their comrades without a care and bringing their own armaments to bear.

The girl now brought the Naginata down and once more a crescent of bright red energy was shot forwards cleaving even more warriors apart while sending flying those not directly obliterated.

Sakura was moving again to attack when she gasped as two small hits struck her back and right shoulder.

Turning around angrily she saw two archers on the rooftop of an old house knocking fresh arrows on their bows and tensing them. The girl didn't let them and instead delivered another crescent of energy that obliterated them along with the whole edifice producing a thick cloud of dust.

The girl turned angrily in the dust looking for her enemies when a hand made her turn around to face a dirt smeared girl of platinum blonde hair who looked sad but above all scared over what was happening.

"S-Sakura?" asked the girl with a trembling voice as she let go of the girl whose expression didn't soften at all.

The blonde girl looked down and saw the prone body of a young blonde man with three arrows buried deep in his chest and a content smile on his face.

Looking back at the pink haired girl called Sakura, the girl said "S-Sakura…we must go!"

Sakura's eyes went wide and growling she brought her large weapon about and lifting it said "Give him back!"

The blonde girl's eyes closed as the weapon's shining edge came for her…

 **Days Before**

"Can you see it yet?! Can you?!" excitedly asked a cheery long platinum haired girl sticking her head out the narrow window from a large moving wagon that rode on a long stretch of metal tracks passing through the area faster than most horses could.

"With you on top of me is rather difficult to see anything you pig!" growled a long pink haired girl as she finally managed to push back the platinum haired one back on her seat within the wagon which rocked occasionally.

"Sorry forehead but it's hard not to be excited you know?! I mean, so long dusty boring Konoha and hello bustling and modern Keishi!" excitedly said the blonde girl as she fidgeted on her seat with glee.

The pinkette sighed and said "You do know we aren't going to Keishi for some tourism and shopping Ino. So maybe you should focus a bit more on what we are actually going to be doing"

Ino pouted and replied "Of course I know Sakura, you seem to confuse me for the actual blonde idiot of Konoha. But that doesn't mean we can't have some fun on the side, we are going to be there for four years at the least you know?"

Softening her expression, Sakura sighed and said "Sorry Ino, Keishi does sound exciting but becoming a Samurai is important to me. I mean, you come from the Yamanaka who have produced Daimyo and Samurai for several generations. I am the first hopeful for the Haruno so if I make it, then my family's future will be secure"

Ino smiled softly for her friend who was dressed in red Kimono top with pink cherry blossoms stamped on the fabric. Her bottom was covered in tight fitting black pants that reached down to her knees with a white circle on the left thigh. Her feet were covered in high heeled black sandals.

Her soft smile then turned into a mischievous smirk and the girl said "But you do know what entails becoming a Samurai, don't you? Which means you must have a Daimyo in mind right?"

At that Sakura blinked and blushing she lowered her head in embarrassment while saying "Y-You too since you also want to become a Samurai!"

Ino giggled and said "Sure I do, and for that matter you too. Our Konoha's top hopeful Daimyo Sasuke Uchiha right?"

Sakura looked sideways sparing a glance to Ino who was dressed in a purple kimono top with gold flowers stamped on it which ended just below her breasts, exposing her toned belly. Her bottom was covered in a purple mini skirt which on her left side extended into a long one, with larger golden flowers stamped, effectively covering her entire left leg. Her feet, like Sakura's, were covered in high heeled black sandals.

"So our competition carries on…I wonder who he'll pick?" asked Ino knowing the young man occupied her friend's thoughts about becoming a Samurai.

"Anyway, you heard if someone else from Konoha is getting sent to Keishi?" asked Ino removing the rather uncomfortable issue of becoming a Samurai from their conversation.

"I heard Kiba and Shino are being sent. No wonder since their families have also produced Samurai and Daimyo in the past" answered Sakura becoming relaxed once again.

Ino nodded and added "Shikamaru and Chouji are being sent, their families legacy as well likely played a hand"

"Yeah, your family and that from those two have always fought together right?" asked Sakura.

"Yeah, daddy never stops talking about that. He can be so transparent sometimes when he clearly wishes me to become the Samurai of either of them. As if I would become a Samurai to a lazy rude bum or a walking bottomless pit!" said Ino with a bit more venom than she really intended.

"Someone else I am not remembering?" added Ino wanting to not think too much on her male "friends"

Sakura mused the question but just as she was about to answer she hesitated and then said "Nope…no one else"

Ino saw through her hesitation though and narrowing her eyes asked "What of you know who? The guy always asking for a date and whatnot?"

Sakura frowned in annoyance and replied "He…didn't made the cut. I saw the list of approved names when we received our acceptance scrolls and didn't saw his name on it. Also, he never even came to the War Field that day, so I guess he was informed earlier"

"And how did you noticed?" asked Ino seeing that Sakura was somehow conflicted over it.

"I expected the moron to come asking for a date or something, so I was on the lookout. Didn't want him to ruin the day with his usual antics" replied Sakura looking out the window resting her chin on her hand.

"Well, guess he really didn't have it in him after all. I mean, to have an orphan join the War Field in the first place was already an oddity. Guess he will turn a farmer or perhaps get a job somewhere in town, he could also join the military as a rank and file grunt" started to muse Ino considering the other paths of life beyond her dream as Sakura listened without much apparent interest.

"But I guess that suits him better, he will also get his head out of the clouds and get himself a decent life, then get married and whatnot. Just hope he doesn't end up becoming a wrongdoer" finished saying Ino while also looking out the window and noticing that Sakura was looking at her with nothing close to amusement.

"W-What?" asked Ino suddenly feeling a bit threatened.

Frowning at first and then relaxing, Sakura said "That moron won't end up becoming a criminal…"

Ino blinked in surprise and laughing awkwardly said "S-Sure he won't you need brains to be a criminal and get away with it!"

Wanting to change the focus of the conversation Ino chirped "Talking of drop outs! You remember that girl with the freaky eyes that dropped out a couple of years ago? The one who couldn't even start the fight with you when you let out your "Shanaroo" war cry?!"

Sakura blushed at the mention of her involuntary war cry and thinking on it managed to remember the meek pale girl she faced back when weapon training started when they were 12.

Sakura snorted and said "What of her?"

"Well her family is marrying her to the heir of a ship building company! Tough luck huh? Bet she wishes she had the courage to at least put up a fight. But not like she can complain, she is marrying into big money!" said Ino with an almost cruel smirk that Sakura shared for a second before feeling guilty over the boost in her confidence she felt back then. Still the path of the Samurai was not for the squeamish and someone who dropped her blade upon meeting the enemy wasn't going to survive long in it.

As they pondered on the past, the wagon suddenly shifted its inclination and throughout it the roar of a metallic beast made both girls jump slightly.

"Finally!" said Ino looking out the window to observe that the otherwise flat ground started to climb towards a massive rocky wall that dominated the entire observable horizon.

 **An Hour Later**

The vehicle upon which the girls rode was called a train and behind the smoke belching engine it pulled a long line of wagons linked to one another. This machine made the last trek with effort as it climbed into the mouth of an ancient massive super volcano that now was extinct and in it nested the vast and ever growing city of Keishi.

Keishi was the modern capital of the Land of Fire and it was were the Samurai and Daimyo resided and were deployed from.

The train took about 30 minutes more to reach the city's grand station named after the Land of Fire's current Shogun, Hiruzen Sarutobi, and upon arrival the girls couldn't stop staring at everything in awe.

The station was bustling with more people than they had ever seen in their lives milling around each other and moving with purpose despite the great chaos revolving all around them. Travelers stared impatiently at the latest mechanical devices that allowed to measure the passage of time in an accurate manner. They were called clocks or watches and worked by cranking them up every now and then every time they stopped.

People were also strangely dressed here as the latest fashion was to wear more functional clothing instead of the traditional and more colorful apparels. Men in particular now wore rough cloth jackets, pants usually of the same color and materials, soft looking shirts with wooden buttons instead of laces, and soft leather sandals people called shoes or boots if they were large enough to envelop ones legs as well.

Women though still dressed quite colorfully and in similar attires to the ones they wore albeit less revealing. Still many now walked around in soft leather heeled sandals or shoes and also sported small or medium sized leather bags they carried with themselves and from which they procured money and other utilities usually carried in pouches, cloth sacks or pockets in the kimono sleeves.

Giving some measure of order to the chaos revolving around them were soldiers of the Land of Fire who wore the latest weaponry produced by the burgeoning industry.

Long gone were the traditional sets of armor made of tanned leather, wood and iron. They now wore rough cloth dark red jackets with brass buttons, pants of the same materials, and knee high soft leather boots. Their heads were capped with lusterless metallic helmets that resembled old helmets usually worn by Samurai and Daimyo in the oldest times with a bowl like top and a segmented "skirt" that protected the sides and the back of the head.

Their backs were covered by large soft dark brown leather backpacks from which several essentials protruded from. A shovel for trench digging work to the sticks of individual tents.

But their most distinctive sign were the long barreled firearms hanging straight from their shoulders. They were called muskets and though their rate of fire was somewhat slow, a single shot was enough to punch a man off his feet and pass through most personal armor sets by firing a single iron projectile. Also hanging from their belts one could see a short straight blade with a ring forged on the hilt.

An almost painfully loud whistle went through the station as the train finally came to a full stop and with that the girls struggled their way out of the wagon amidst the other passengers. More than one male attempted to cup a feel from them only to get their fingers and hands twisted away painfully…

As they descended they went to where workers were unloading the train's cargo and it didn't took them long to find their belonging which were medium sized light wood boxes wrapped in colorful fabrics mounted on a wooden harness. Some people looked at them with curiosity due to how unusual such a sight was becoming amidst the more convenient and flexible leather cases.

Nevertheless when a soldier walked with a long pole arm with the edge of it covered in a bright red leather scabbard and a set of bow and arrows the people took a step back making the girls feel somewhat embarrassed.

The soldier handed them over and bowing sharply returned to keep order around. The rest of the people observed them with mixed reactions. Some with curiosity, others with reverence while a few looked somewhat resentful.

The girls dismissed those looks but as they made their way to the exit a group of men with white arm bands surrounded them with angry stares. This in turn made the girls take a grip of their weapons while tensing up.

"Look! They mean to oppress us once again!" suddenly shouted a man making Sakura and Ino look puzzled while passersby turned around for a moment before most of them resumed their road.

"W-What do you want?!" said Sakura looking worried but ready to defend herself.

"Look at how the Samurai once more steps on the little man! How can it be that in this modern age we are still meant to serve these killing machines?!" roared the man making Sakura and Ino surprised with such a declaration.

But before either girl could speak again a loud commanding voice shouted "Alright, that's enough! You and your lot are all under arrest!"

Suddenly a group of soldiers appeared and wrestled down several of the men with white armbands while a few managed to scamper away. Their leader was dropped by a single punch to the gut by the meaty hand of a broad and tall bearded soldier with brass pins on his shoulders indicating a rank of import.

Having the protesters taken away the large man turned to the girls and taking a deep bow he said "My apologies little ladies, these scumbags won't bother you or anyone again under my watch"

Sakura and Ino nodded their thanks and it was the first who asked "Who were they?"

"Malcontents who resent the government, they think that the country's current ways no longer support the rule of the Shogun and his Samurai. Fools I say, we are great because of them!" replied the large soldier whose head barely fitted in his regular sized helmet.

"Are there many like them?" asked Ino feeling somewhat concerned.

The soldier shook his head and said "No my Lady, they are just a small group of miserable men who cast the blame on others for their own failings. They are known for gathering at Sake houses and opium dens where they can scream all they want to drunkards and languishing losers"

"They do gather around here though to seek out Samurai hopefuls like yourselves misses and harass them. I usually keep them away but they sneak in from everywhere" said the man with reverence for the girls.

"How did you know who we were?" asked Sakura curious as to how they figured them out from all the crowd.

The man blinked and chuckling said "Well, the old fashioned weapons are a dead giveaway while your beauty is a close second"

The girls blushed and eventually giggled as they bowed the man in return and continued their way out. Still, as they left they heard a large commotion where guard whistles sounded and a loud laughter made them have a vague feeling.

Still, the sight of the sprawling city before them made them forget quickly.

The city of Keishi filled almost the entire mouth of the vast ancient volcano and given the sights, it would soon occupy every available space and even the spill from it to the outer skirts of the elevation.

The buildings were a mishmash of different styles, where the older ones were mostly wooden and no taller than 3 floors, the newer ones were made of whitish bricks and reared up to five or six floors. The overall exterior designs were similar particularly at the rooftops.

Smoke, black and white, spilled from many chimneys across the city and the amount of people walking the streets was even bigger than inside the station.

Most people walked while several other rode on horses or small carriages. But the most intriguing sight was that from a small wagon without windows that advanced at a moderate speed through the main streets on metallic tracks that shone against the cobbled streets.

Looking ahead, the girls noticed the ancient walls the divided the city into districts and sitting at the center, they observed the imposing sight of the Palace/Castle of the Shogun the supreme ruler of the Land of Fire.

"Wow…it's a long way from here. Guess we can't walk over there" said Ino not used to such long distances having come from a smaller city where life was slower.

"Should we use one of those carriages?" suggested Sakura pointing to a sort of station where several carriages and their drivers waited reading newspapers, talking with each other or smoking.

Ino looked at the drivers and almost replied a sound "No!" but not seeing another way she nodded and tightening her grip on her belongings, walked with Sakura towards them.

Finally after speaking with the youngest driver and explaining them where they needed to go, Sakura and Ino were mounted on the carriage and already heading towards the Castle on the distance.

As they moved the driver told them about the many parts of the city they should pay a visit to and which parts best to avoid. In their case, the Red Light district was an absolute no go zone for them as women were forbidden from entering it.

Still there were plenty of other places the girls did took note to visit when possible like the public gardens, the baths and the national museums and memorials.

The driver explained them that the place where they were headed to was not exactly the Castle itself but the Academy within the Castle's district. He spoke of common knowledge city folk had of the place as they were forbidden from entering upon being executed.

The Castle District contained not only the official residence of the Shogun but also housed the War Hall and the Academy. Within the expansive district the students and the most important members of the country's leadership were given housings too. The driver mentioned that several of the Land's currently active Samurai-Daimyo couples lived within in their own Dojo's where they trained and "deepened" their bonds vigorously.

The last bit, which the driver said with a grin, made the girls blush and fantasize.

Moving further within the city, they observed numerous shops selling the latest in terms of tools, fashion and literature. Also numerous shops sold Samurai related merchandise like toy swords and illustrations of some of the Land's most notable ones, dead or alive.

The buildings closer to the Castle district started to change in aspect as they went from utilitarian ones to more elegant ones. Some were temples dedicated to the Will of Fire and others expansive states built by the rich and the powerful.

Ino managed to recognize some of the crests present around these buildings and pointed them to Sakura. One she claimed belonged to the family of the girl they talked about at the train and guessed that somewhere was the residence of the Uchiha family.

After admiring the upper class District, the carriage finally arrived to the imposing bronze gates at the walls that marked the limit from which the Castle district began in the city. Standing next to it were two large guards dressed in ceremonial armor but terrible looking weapons they seem quite capable of using. On their belts though they carried ornamented but functional firearms as to give them an edge with the current age modern weaponry.

The girls paid the driver who gave them a court bow and then retired rather quickly as the guards glared at him.

Approaching the gate the girls carried their belonging until at last the guard lifted their hands and as one asked "Who seeks entrance to the Castle District?"

Their loud voice made the girls flinch but swallowing both advance lifting their chins and looking as courageous as they could. Then also with some synchrony, both produce a scroll from within their garments and unrolled them before the guards.

"I, Ino Yamanaka, seek entrance to the Academy as is my earned right on the War Fields" said Ino remembering what the instructors taught them upon receiving their acceptance scrolls.

Sakura in turn said "I, Sakura Haruno, seek entrance to the Academy as is my earned right on the War Fields"

The guards nodded their acknowledgment and then each took a scroll and began to read them carefully taking their time.

Sakura guessed that such scrutiny with the scrolls was probably from candidates who had attempted to forge their own to enter the Academy. She guessed those attempts didn't end well for them as the scrolls seemed rather elaborate to the point of being called works of art.

After a while the guards lifted their eyes from the scrolls and somewhat softening their expressions, both bowed and once more as one said "We bid you welcome honorable ones! May your worth be made greater in service to our Land"

The girls finally let out their breaths which they didn't know they were holding and taking back the scrolls bowed back to the guards uncertain of how they should act in such a situation.

The guards seemed to appreciate the gesture and were about to turn when a loud young male's voice resounded "Wait for me!"

The guards immediately went for their weapons and stepping ahead of the girls adopted a defensive posture. The girls though seemed to have recognized the voice and sidestepping the guards observed the approaching figure with widening eyes.

The young man approaching had a bright blonde spiky mane, bright sapphire blue eyes, tanned healthy skin and a big mischievous grin framed by a set of whisker marks.

"No way!" exclaimed Ino as Sakura was muted with surprise.

The boy was dressed in a dirty bright orange jacket (Like a Karate outfit with short sleeves) black slightly worn loose pants and straw woven sandals. His hands and forearms were covered in worn dirty bandages and on his back an oversized green sack tied around his neck. With one hand he was holding on to the sack so that it wouldn't strangle him and with the other he carried a Spear which in truth was just an uneven wooden stick with a rusted iron flint for a tip blade.

The boy saw the posture of the guards and gasping a "Yikes!" skidded on the cobbled street and ended up falling and rolling until he was right in front of them. The guards quickly placed their blades next to his neck and growled.

"H-Hey guys! Guess I can't have a hand here?" asked Naruto trying to relax the guards who only seemed to get angrier.

"Naruto?" softly said Sakura making the young man remove his gaze from the guards and look at her. His eyes went wide and with a grin he squirmed away from the guards who couldn't move fast enough to catch him.

"Sakura-chan!" shouted the young man as he extended his arms to try and give the girl a big hug. But just as he was within reach, a straight fist to his face stopped him instantly.

Naruto dropped on his rear rubbing his nose before getting back on his feet with an unfazed grin on his face and a slight blush.

"It's great to see you…ack!" began to say Naruto when he was taken to the ground and his arm twisted in a painful position.

One of the guards turned to the girls and asked "Do you know this scumbag?!"

Sakura blinked but it was Ino who having overcome her surprise, replied "Huh…yeah we know him. He went with us to the War Field back in Konoha"

"He is a candidate then?!" asked the guard quite unable to believe that someone in such rags could be a candidate to join the Academy or even hope to become a Daimyo.

"No…he didn't receive a scroll of acceptance" commented Sakura without thinking making the guard deliver a kick to Naruto's side.

Coughing over the kick Naruto gasped "B-But I do have a scroll of acceptance!"

"WHAT?!" was the common response from both girls and the guards.

Naruto chuckled despite the pain on his side and said "In my jacket…"

The guard lifted him back to his feet and letting him go placed his blade next to his neck once more now fully aware of how fast the boy could move. The other stepped in front and slightly opening his jacket retrieved a crumpled scroll which made him frown at his poor treatment of such an important document.

The guard unrolled it then and started a very thorough examination of the document. The guard had to straighten several parts and even moved the scroll around and setting it against the light.

Sakura and Ino shared a look knowing the guards hadn't been this careful with their scrolls and couldn't help but feel a bit bad for Naruto. Nevertheless they couldn't believe Naruto would go so far as to try to forge such a document since it could cost him his head.

"I don't believe it…" whispered the guard to himself before taking air and say "The scroll is real…he is a candidate"

The guard watching over Naruto had his eyes go wide and reluctantly he sheathed his blade before walking to stand next to his partner.

The guard with the scroll returned it to Naruto and said "Next time walk kid…And keep these documents in better shape!"

Naruto dusted himself and taking the scroll resisted the urge to give them a piece of his mind over his rude treatment. But casting his gaze in Sakura's direction was enough to dispel his anger and once more the boy began to smile and blush slightly.

"Hey there Sakura-chan! Glad to see me?!" asked Naruto scratching the back of his head while grinning.

Sakura though was frowning and like a lightning took hold of his ear and bringing him close to her she whispered hurriedly "What are you doing here?! Did you stole that scroll from someone?! You can get executed!"

Naruto though chuckled and managing to pry his ear away from Sakura's iron grip replied "I am here to try and become a Daimyo you know? And no, I didn't stole the scroll! It even has my name and all!"

Naruto then handed over his scroll to Sakura who opened it alongside a curious Ino and both were quite surprised to see his name neatly written on it with no signs of overwriting or erasures.

"But…you didn't get your scroll at the War Field. Your name wasn't on the list" commented Sakura quite confused.

Naruto chuckled once more and said "Yeah! A guy though later showed up at my shack later on the day and handed it over. He said there had been shortage of scroll paper and mine had to be done later on! So they sent him to deliver it to me"

At that reply both girls' jaws slackened and it took them a couple of second to process what the blonde numbskull just said.

Sakura was the first who exploded saying "Are you out of your freaking mind?! Who takes things from complete strangers in this day and age?! He could have given you a forgery you know?!"

"That's right you moron! You could have been beheaded right here! How could you trust something given to you in such a shady manner?!" added Ino always an enemy of such foolishness no matter the source.

Naruto considered it for a moment and after shuddering for a second, smiled again and laughing said "Heh, guess my lucky star didn't left me then!"

"A-And how did you get here?" asked Sakura still trying to get her head around his mystery.

"By train, this place is really far you know?" said Naruto in a tone that made Sakura slightly mad over the implied notion of her being silly.

"We didn't see you on the train and we rode economic" commented Ino quite certain she would have noticed someone dressed so scandalously.

Naruto blushed and laughing said "Well…I kind of couldn't afford the ticket so I hopped on top of the train when it was leaving and rode on it all the way here"

For a second Sakura felt like punching him again but thinking on his humble condition she guessed she couldn't blame him that much. Still she delivered a "soft" punch to his arm and said "That's illegal and very dangerous too. Don't do that again you dummy"

Naruto though blushed and grinning said "Wow Sakura-chan! I didn't know you worried so much about me"

Blushing Sakura drew her fist back making Ino dodge and Naruto get scared. But when she was about to deliver her fury a guard moved distracting her

"Still, his scroll is authentic my ladies" intruded one of the guards as the other opened a concealed separate door which the young ones understood to be their way into the district as the main gates wouldn't part for a couple of aspirants.

Naruto and the girls then took their things and made for the door as the guard said "Enter and then follow the causeway to the Eastern block. That's where the Academy is located within the District. You are fortunate as today is the welcoming ceremony for the new generation of aspirants. They'll be gathering at the Founder's plaza beneath the shadow of our greatest heroes"

Sakura and Ino nodded their gratitude while Naruto made a quick rude gesture at them before following after the girls with his oversized luggage.

"The academy sure is lowering its standards these days" commented one of the guards in annoyance as he closed the door and returned to his post.

 **Moments Later**

Once inside the Castle District, the younglings took a moment to bask in the glory of their nation.

The Shogun's Castle/Palace was by far the biggest building any of them had ever seen in their lives with over 10 large floors tall. And the adjacent complexes around it were no less impressive if only shorter in stature.

Many statues lined the causeway to the Castle and it didn't took much to guess who they were. They were the fallen Samurai and Daimyo of the Land of Fire who had fought in some of the most bloody and incredible battles.

On one side of the rode stood the male Daimyo clad in armor and on the other stood the female Samurai clad in armor as well and holding her weapon of choice.

At the end of the causeway stood an ever burning pyre and above it a large arch from where a white flag with a red flame danced against the wind.

Sakura and Ino bowed to pay their respects…Sakura though had to elbow Naruto in his gut to make him bow.

Afterwards, the trio followed the guard's instructions and headed towards the Academy grounds where they would carry on with the welcoming ceremony.

It didn't took them long to reach the Founders' Plaza and it was there that they realized the origin of the name. For on one side of it stood two giant red jade statues. One of a handsome but affable looking man and the other of a stern but beautiful woman.

"Wow! Who are they?!" asked Naruto as he stood in awe before the statues.

"You dummy. Those are Lord Hashirama Senju and Lady Mito the War Dancer" answered Sakura pushing Naruto.

"Who?" asked Naruto a bit embarrassed as he just couldn't remove his eyes from the statues.

"I can't believe they gave you a scroll…Lord Hashirama and Lady Mito are for all intents and purposes, the founders of the Land of Fire as a unified country. He is the first Shogun and she is the greatest Samurai that has ever lived or ever will!" answered Ino this time helping Sakura push him towards where they could see people was already gathering.

As they approached the trio's faces lit up upon recognition of several of the faces present.

An ill-humored boy with black hair tied up in a short spiky pony tail with sharp eyes and dressed in black and grey with a short light grey jacket with a deer's head stamped on its back was identified by Ino as Shikamaru Nara. He had a whip coiled about his waist.

Next to him dressed in grey and red stood a broad young man with spiky brown hair and an affable demeanor. He was munching at a bag of chips, a new culinary sensation spreading through the country. He too was identified by Ino as Chouji Akimichi. He had a wooden octagonal pole with its tips cased in steel jackets.

Next to the pair was another. One was a messy looking young man with red fang tattoos on his face dressed in black and grey with a tanned leather jacket with steel claw gauntlets hanging from his belt. The other was a tall pale skinned man dressed in black and wearing a dark green overcoat that even had a hoody while his eyes were covered by blacked glasses called shades which were becoming a hit among men wanting to adopt a "mysterious" look. He had a set of throwing knives attached on his pants.

They were named Kiba Inuzuka and the other was Shino Aburame.

What they all had in common was that they were the scions of noble families that at one point of another have had Daimyo and Samurai in their ranks and so the potential for more put them aside from many other candidates.

The girls though didn't recognize anyone among the other present female candidates and as such simply sighed and went to join them as Naruto, now oblivious to them rushed excitedly to where the guys stood.

"Hey guys! You made it too?!" loudly said Naruto with a big grin making the other standing there take a few moments to recognize the young man in front.

"What the hell is the dead last doing here?!" said Kiba with a feral grin that was meant to shame the newcomer. But to his chagrin, Naruto didn't paid him more than a passing glance.

"That's a good question…" chimed Shino only be equally ignored by Naruto making go into a stoic but unnoticeable depression.

"What are you doing here Naruto?" asked Chouji with genuine surprise although a bit embarrassed to make the question since not even he imagined Naruto would be there that day.

"Does it matter, just another troublesome person" said Shikamaru with a yawn but keeping his sharp eyes on Naruto nonetheless.

Naruto grinned further, oblivious to the derision, and putting his hand in his jacket produced his scroll of acceptance and displayed it for everyone to see.

"No way! You forged that didn't you?!" asked Kiba sounding a bit angry since he remembered how much effort he had to put into being accepted while Naruto was dead last and unable to get most of the basics right.

"Not possible Kiba. The guards are highly trained to distinguish forgeries from the real thing. Naruto has been truly accepted though how or why is quite a mystery I admit" added Shino placing a hand on his peer.

"Hey! They just ran out of scroll paper! Of course they would accept me!" said Naruto while pouting.

Kiba and Chouji started snickering as Shino was about to reply but Naruto beat him to it by cocking his head and asking "Who are you by the way?"

At that Kiba cracked up along with Chouji while Shikamaru turned away to conceal his smile as Shino seemed to tremble slightly before taking a hold of Naruto's shirt and say "I am Shino Aburame! Shino Aburame! I have been attending the War Field with you since we were 5!"

Noticing he was losing his cool, Shino let go of a freaked out Naruto and coughing said "Do try to remember people's names Naruto. It's rude otherwise…"

"The true wonder is how any of you louts made it here…" said a young male voice with an annoyed tone laced with arrogance bred from confidence.

At that barb the young men turned to meet their interlocutor but they already knew who it was.

The young man that walked up to them was of pale white skin, black hair combed in a slightly spiky manner and sported two black sharp and penetrating eyes. He was dressed in a pristine white shirt, a deep blue jacket (Samurai Style) with a crest in the form of a war fan of white and red. His lower body was covered in dark grey loose pants and his legs encased in black lusterless soft leather boots.

On his belt a straight one edged blade hung from a deep blue scabbard of great quality.

"Sasuke Uchiha…as pleasant as always" muttered Shino making Kiba nod briskly.

"Still with that attitude duck ass hair?!" mocked Naruto making the young noble looking man miss a step and round on Naruto with ire and no little embarrassment as other candidates snickered at the rather accurate remark on his hair style.

Sasuke calmed down quickly and looking down on Naruto said "The Academy is soiled with the likes of you being here…still I am surprised you were accepted here. Their standards must be getting lower or someone made a mistake"

Naruto bristled at that but a heavy hand of Chouji stopped him from advancing on Sasuke.

Sasuke smirked and added "Perhaps you are a charity case as to encourage others to try harder. If they take a drag like yourself, then anyone has a shot"

Growling, Naruto shook Chouji's hand and charged Sasuke but the young male had been expecting that and didn't took him any effort to take Naruto's fist and throw him over his shoulder. But Naruto's hand managed to get a hold of Sasuke's jacket and as he was being thrown, he pulled the jacket over Sasuke's head and bringing him to his knees using his weight.

At that Shino and Chouji finally stepped in as the two were about to start a brawl.

From a distance Sakura and Ino sighed as they saw the boy's interactions play.

"They haven't changed one bit" complained Sakura a bit embarrassed over seeing Sasuke humiliated in such a strange manner.

"Well, Naruto has an entire book of flaws but being a coward isn't one. Going up against a noble of Sasuke's caliber is quite daring if absolutely foolish. Then again he may not be brave but just really dumb" commented Ino sharing in Sakura's embarrassment.

"I don't recognize any of the girls here…" eventually said Sakura as the boys settled down.

"Well that comes as no surprise. Daddy says that the number of people that actually makes it to Samurai or Daimyo has been diminishing since the country's unification and though the country actively trains candidates the number remains very low" replied Ino also looking for a familiar face among the female elements of the gathering.

"They say that only about seven girls in every hundred candidates become Samurai for the Land of Fire…And that's the highest number among the Elemental Nations" added Sakura having read on the subject extensively.

Ino nodded and then chimed "Now that I think about it, last year a girl from Konoha was actually accepted at the Academy. She is the daughter of a blacksmith working for one of town's most notable clans"

Sakura seemed to still not know who her friend was speaking about but as she was about to ask further a set of Sea Shells blew a high note drawing the assembled candidates attention towards the direction of the Academy's gates which were being parted to let a procession of people stream from.

At the head stood a middle aged man of long white spiky hair tied in a long pony tail. His face may have been brusquely handsome at some point and his eyes though amenable were sharp. He wore a green and red attire that resembled a Kabuki actor for some reason with wooden sandals.

Next to him the visage was very different. A woman of light blonde hair tied up in twin tails with jade ornaments on them. Her face was beautiful beyond compare with honey colored eyes, but her expression was a mix of impatience and sadness that made her look somewhat like a statue.

She was of a very feminine complexion with very large breasts and ample hips contained in a light green kimono with nature inspired stamping in viridian.

Behind each came a long line of escorts dressed in varying outfits. Some seemed like civil servants while others looked like combat instructors. All though looked slightly imposing and the candidates soon imagined they would be their instructors at the Academy.

The procession came to a stop and the now silent candidates bowed in respect…except for Naruto who knew nothing of the recent arrivals.

"What are you doing you moron?!" wondered Sakura when she spied on the boys and noticed the blonde boy not even having the sense to imitate his peers.

Ino giggled softly and whispered "He is more likely to get beheaded than being expelled at this rate"

The two leading figures of the procession surveyed the bowing candidates until they noticed the still standing and confused looking Naruto.

"That's one moron for you" softly muttered the woman making the man next to her chuckle.

"Is that how you pay your respects to your superiors? Asked the white haired man with a smirk making Naruto angry at his expression.

"Perhaps if knew who you are" replied Naruto making everyone around flinch over his suicidal idiocy.

The man though far from looking upset seemed amused and raising an eyebrow said "Well I would happen to be Jiraiya the Land of Fire's Chief of Staff and Co-Director of this Academy"

Pointing with his thumb at the woman besides him, Jiraiya added "And this hottie here happens to be Princess Tsunade Senju the granddaughter of Hashirama Senju and Mito the War Dancer. She also goes by the name of War Princess and is a hero of the country"

At that Naruto seemed to tremble and blushing reluctantly bowed.

"That's better kid" said a smug looking Jiraiya when a sudden killing aura filled the area.

"Who's a hottie you moron?! And what kind of introduction is that?!" asked Tsunade taking an iron grip on Jiraiya's hand and twisting it easily into a submission hold.

"I didn't say anything untrue!" said Jiraiya in his defense making everyone around wonder if the place infected people with suicidal idiocy.

Tsunade twisted further but noticing the strained atmosphere she let him go and coughing began "I welcome you all hopefuls of the Land of Fire to Keishi and to this Grand Academy. As my colleague here said, I am Tsunade Senju and I am THE Director of this facility"

After that she fell silent and after taking a moment to observed the still bowing candidates she added "Rise up young ones, you have earned your spot here"

With that the candidates stood up. Naruto even pushing his chest proudly although he was still blushing in embarrassment.

Looking at their faces Tsunade seemed somewhat disappointed and continued "Many if not all of you have come here with a simple goal. To become Daimyo or Samurai of the Land of Fire but for now you are nothing but lowly Ashigaru"

At the mention of the Land's finest the candidates faces lit up in excitement making the woman smirk a bit cruelly.

"You may dim your hopes now young ones for perhaps, this generation alone may only yield single one of each if any at all" said Tsunade making the candidates look deflated but to their credit not entirely daunted.

"That's better…" thought Tsunade.

"This Academy's goal is not only to produce Daimyo and Samurai. But to produce leaders for the Land of Fire" added the Princess and before the candidates could respond she continued "This Academy will make of you the Land's elite. You'll be our industry leaders, our talented officials and our Generals and Rulers"

"Rest assured that your presence here already has a bright future assured for each and every one of you should you succeed to graduate. So simply be earnest and hardworking, no more is asked from you" finished saying Tsunade surprising the candidate on how sparse she was on their main interest to join the Academy.

With that Tsunade and a recovered Jiraiya seemed to make back for the building until they stopped in mid step.

Turning around with a cruel smirk Tsunade said "Oh yes, there is though a simple you should observe over all others here and best it comes from my lips"

"I love this moment" chuckled Jiraiya as a large banner began to unfurl from the main building with "NO LOVE" written in capital letters.

"Romantic relationships of any kind are forbidden on this institution" said Tsunade obviously taking pleasure in the shocked faces of the candidates.

With that Jiraiya and Tsunade departed giggling like accomplices as some of the instructors stayed behind to give the students directions and final instructions…

 **Days Later**

After the shocking first day at the Grand Academy of Keishi, the candidates got a true measure both the city and place that would be their home for the next four years.

The city of Keishi located in the crater of an ancient huge but extinct volcano was divided in large Districts.

The Commercial District which was the largest of the city boasting shops, restaurants, parks, museums, theaters and all the entertainment the city could provide next to the businesses central operations of many companies that were actively changing the face of the Land.

The Residential District was the main housing area of the city where most of the population dwelled in. It had smaller parks, youth recreation centers and expansive housing for the tens of thousands that called the city their home.

The Industrial District was where the heavy industry of the country was based and where it's most recent technological marvels were born and introduced to the Land of Fire and in many occasions to the world itself.

The Lower Government District was were the day to day activities of the Land of Fire were dealt with. Mostly a bureaucratic nightmare of buildings where one needed to attend to register children, open a business, get permits or seek justice at court.

Finally the Palace District located at the center had the Grand Academy next to it. This District housed the Land of Fire's Shogun's palace where the supreme ruler of the Land governed the country and dispatched its absolute orders. The Academy was in fact an extension of the Palatial complex and within amidst the buildings a smaller replica of the things found outside could be found.

The reason for this was to keep a close eye on the youth that would carry the future of the country someday and avoid harmful interference from interested parties.

Sakura and Ino, also noticed that instructors didn't mention the Red Light District the driver did. They guessed that such a place was not befitting the youth of the Academy but also suspected that sooner or later the guys would find out…

One thing they found odd though was that so far their education wasn't focused on them becoming Daimyo or Samurai as much as it was in making them elite students and learn about the latest trends in the Land of Fire and neighboring countries.

The girls noticed that Naruto was genuinely struggling to keep up. They couldn't help but sympathize with him a bit seeing the strain on his face to understand the concepts of the lectures.

Eventually as the week carried on, they finally got the instructors they were hoping for.

One was a silver haired man wearing a mask covering his nose and mouse with an eye patch over his left eye. He introduced himself as Kakashi Hatake and usually walked around in regular modern grey military fatigues despite the usual color being red. He wore black leather boots and had his hands covered in fingerless gloves with metal plates on the back of the hand.

He was particularly incisive with Naruto while bringing down Sasuke's pride when pointing his lack of knowledge on certain areas. The girls couldn't stand him for this and the fact that he openly read erotic literature in front of them didn't help.

The other instructor was a female and her name was Anko Mitarashi. A woman of purplish hair, light brown eyes and generous female proportions she flaunted with a fishnet shirt that covered nothing and depended on a large tan overcoat for modesty. She also wore a very short dark orange miniskirt and her legs were encased in a set of not very feminine leather boots.

"Alright you brats! The moment you were waiting for has finally come!" excitedly declared Anko making the whole class go silent.

But when the silence became somewhat awkward Kakashi looked up from his book and said "I think they don't know what you are talking about…just saying"

Anko blushed and giving Kakashi a dirty glance said "Perverted jerk…anyway, you lot all dream of becoming Daimyo and Samurai, well the instruction for that will begin in earnest this week at the Killing Grounds!"

At such an ominous name the students didn't cheered as Anko expected so sighing Kakashi said "The Killing Grounds are basically a combat field were you'll be pitted against an opposing enemy force. You all have been trained at your cities' War Fields in weapons combat but we need to not only see your proficiency but also your strategic skills in combat. Consider it a measuring test…"

That explanation made Anko blush once again in embarrassment and the class sigh in relief and actually start chattering more excitedly.

"Finally I'll be able to show what I am made from!" said Naruto a bit louder than he should drawing snickering from around and some dirty glances from others. Partly due to his cockiness and partly for his garments.

Sakura had noticed that Naruto had a tendency to wear the same clothes constantly and whatever fresh garments he wore, looked worn and had several stitches and patches on them. She had always known he was poor but this brought a new light to the term.

Her musings stopped when Anko summersaulted in the air and landed on Naruto's desk. She then squatted in front of Naruto and said "Oh, aren't you a confident one? Uzumaki correct? I saw your grades and I have to say that you being here is nothing short of a miracle and by miracle I mean someone making a big mistake during grading"

Naruto flushed in anger at the remark and Anko seemed to make for a challenging uplifting comment. But as her legs parted a bit drawing Naruto's attention the boy's face became scarlet red.

Anko looked down and blushing a bit she stuck her tongue out and said "Opps, forgot to wear any!"

At that Sakura fumed for some reason while the rest of the class exploded into laughter as the embarrassed teacher made her way back to the front of the class trying her best to look shameless but failing a bit.

Kakashi made a comment about "Who's the pervert again?" causing Anko to trip his chair and make him fall on his back.

 **After Classes**

"Well, finally they'll teach us something useful" said Ino as she and Sakura went about their lunch at one of the Academy's gardens after picking up their meals at the food court.

"Considering that so few actually become Daimyo and Samurai every generation, it's no surprise they put a greater focus on other areas" said Sakura biting down on her rice ball.

"Yeah, but they always say that the country's security rests on the shoulders of its Daimyo and Samurai and the leadership of the Shogun. One would think that they would put more emphasis on raising them to the highest number possible" countered Ino as she ate some egg rolls.

Sakura mused this last point and replied "Well, maybe they do know more about it than they give. I mean, there isn't much that we actually know about them in the first place. Invincible warriors must have a way of becoming so"

Ino finished her lunch and said "Well, you are right I guess…but what's with that stupid rule of no romance?! I mean the Daimyo – Samurai couples are known for becoming long lasting marriages and make for some of the country's top romance stories"

"That is a mystery indeed…" agreed Sakura as she also finished her lunch and leaned back on the grass using her arms to stay seated.

Ino observed Sakura for a moment and suddenly said "Want to take a look at the Killing Fields?"

Sakura blinked in confusion and asked "What?"

"I was thinking that we could get an edge if we went and took a look at the place and see what it has in store for us. That way we could get ahead of the other girls and catch Sasuke's eye early on" said Ino with a playful smile and cunning eyes.

Sakura blinked and blushed a little at the mention of the Uchiha youth.

Shaking her head Sakura replied "But wouldn't it be dangerous? I mean, it's named Killing Field for a reason. And besides, I am pretty certain they won't allow us to get near it"

Ino huffed and said "We will only take a peek forehead! Just to see what kind of place it is and what we can expect. That way we can show off a little! Remember that the role of the Daimyo is to lead so he will want the best Samurai under his command"

Sakura felt uneasy about the proposal but had to grant that it was quite clever. Very few Samurai and Daimyo became so every generation and for that to happen, candidates must first form bonds of teamwork between them.

"Alright…when?" finally agreed Sakura still not looking very convinced of Ino's idea.

"Tonight! I found out from the staff where the place is. We will bring our weapons just in case. And if by chance we run into an instructor we can say we went out for some late training to blow some steam and get ahead" said Ino clapping her hands happy that Sakura would follow along.

 **At Night**

Sakura and Ino slipped away from the dormitories which to their surprise were loosely guarded though a curfew was in effect for them. They reasoned that no girl would risk getting herself in trouble and ruin her chances at the Academy.

Both carried their weapons closely and moving through alleyways both girls made their way in the general direction Ino have found out the Killing Fields were located. Ino had guessed that the place was some sort of special area and that it would be easy to identify but after a while of looking, there was no sign of anything special.

"We are lost" finally said Sakura looking frustrated and little angry at her friend who was peering into now empty streets in one direction and the other.

"We aren't!...But we should be able to see something by now" replied Ino wondering where exactly they were. Having moved through backstreets threw her sense of direction despite having headed in the direction she was informed.

"I think they misled you on purpose" chimed Sakura making Ino grind her teeth and bite her lip to not reply with an insult.

Ino sighed and looking again for a sign of anything special she noticed something else.

"Hey…don't you think it's too quiet here?" said Ino looking at the fences of homes and the long empty streets.

"It's the middle of the night and there is a curfew for candidates, what did you expect?" asked Sakura leaning on her Naginata.

"No…I mean, there should be guards doing their rounds and some lights from some windows. But only the lamp posts are on" said Ino adjusting her quiver's position on her hip for an easy reach of her arrows.

Sakura then looked around and quickly noticed what Ino did and bringing her Naginata said "Maybe we should get out of here. I don't think we should be around this part of the District in any case"

Ino nodded but right before she could say a word the sound of rushing footsteps drew their attention to the street right behind them which was poorly lit.

Instinctively Ino knocked an arrow on her bow while Sakura adopted a guarded stance. Both knew that they should be safe in such a District but being out during curfew could make them pass as intruders and be attacked. Being able to defend themselves to avoid injury was a lesson well drilled into them back on the War Field.

The footsteps increased their pace making both girls ready themselves and swallow.

"Sakura-chan!" said a voice from the darkness making Ino loose her string in surprise and shoot straight at the source of the voice within the darkness.

Sakura blinked in surprise and said "Naruto?!"

From the darkness came Naruto looking a bit pale with his "spear" split in two after apparently the arrow struck it dead center. And being just a stick with a rusted iron flint on the tip it didn't withstood the arrow's force and superior quality.

"Dang it Ino! Who shoots arrows at people these days?! I know you don't like me but I don't think I deserve being shot at!" complained Naruto looking at the split halves of his only weapon and grimacing of how to get a replacement.

Ino was dumbfounded but blushed quickly enough over jumping at shadows and reacting scared like that. Such behavior wasn't fitting a true Samurai after all…

"Naruto!" barked Sakura bonking the boy on his head and followed "What the hell?! That was very dangerous!"

Naruto rubbed his head and replied "Sorry Sakura-chan, didn't mean to startle you"

Sakura huffed but said nothing and seeing that Ino looked both relieved and embarrassed she closed her eyes and said "I think we better leave, we never got to the Killing Fields and we'll get into a lot of trouble if we get caught like this"

This seemed to bring Ino out from her shock and blinking she looked at Naruto and asked "What are you doing here?"

Naruto blushed and scratching the back of his head replied "Well, I was out for a late snack from the kitchens when I saw you two scurrying about. I followed you then and here we are"

Sakura narrowed her eyes and pointed "And you did that with your "spear" in hand?"

At that Naruto looked briefly ashamed and said "Force of habit to carry this along…"

The boy looked at the remains of his "spear" and sighing added "Guess I'll need a new one…"

Ino flinched and smiling guiltily said "Guess I'll have to buy you a new proper one…"

Naruto brightened up at that and said "Really?! Wow thanks!"

Ino blushed embarrassed while Sakura frowned slightly a bit angry at Naruto for not showing a bit more of pride over having a girl buying him stuff.

Just as she was about to scold them the sound of new footsteps made them go silent and look for the source which was straight ahead of them.

Ahead the light of a lamp post revealed a tall male figure clad in completely black classical armor and holding to a long Spear not seen since before the coming of widespread use of gunpowder.

At that the three teens panicked and Ino was quick to say "H-Hi sir! Good evening! I know we should be out so late but we were training until late and lost track of time!"

"Y-Yeah! These two can keep me going for hours!" added Naruto making Ino and Sakura blush intensely over the alternate interpretation those words could have.

Sakura slapped him over the head and looking at the armored man said "Don't listen to this jackass! We were already on our way but got a bit lost. You see, we are new arrivals"

The armored man stopped and then adopted a guarded stance with his Spear while approaching them at a slow pace.

Naruto stood between the man and the girls holding his split spear as a couple of batons now and said "Woah dude, calm down will you? I don't think going late to bed deserved getting all aggressive!"

The man seemed unfazed and instead kept advancing until it was within striking distance from Naruto who didn't back down. At this the man made a very telegraphed thrust that was parried not by Naruto but by Sakura who pulled Naruto back in the same motion.

The armored man recovered its stance and once again thrust only to be parried easily again by Sakura who warned "Stand down! We don't want to fight!"

By this point Ino had knocked another arrow and was aiming for the man's shoulder as Sakura kept her distance with the Naginata held in front of her. The man seemed undeterred despite being in an obvious disadvantage of numbers and skill.

The guard's unfazed attitude and the teens unwillingness to fight made them retreat slowly which allowed them to better observe their opponent and to their surprise the man's face under the helmet was completely white like a doll's and it's eyes were not existent.

At such unnatural trait Sakura finally had enough and parrying the simple thrust this time she brought the blade of her Naginata back slicing the armored man's exposed throat effectively beheading it.

Ino faltered as the head of the man dropped but sighed in relief when upon touching the ground it broke into shards that became dust instantly.

"Sakura-chan?" said Naruto seeing that Sakura was a bit shaken over actually beheading something that looked like a man in so many aspects.

The pink haired girl blinked and breathed as she said "What…What the hell was that?"

Ino collected her bearings and said "Don't know but I don't want to remain here to find out…"

This made both Naruto and Sakura nod and the three started walking back on their tracks but the barely lit streets made them weary when more slow footsteps started to sound from several directions.

As they ran, from adjacent streets more such black armored men started to appear armed now not only with spears but with blades as well. In some points there were so many that they were forced to make turns they didn't want to.

Eventually the pressure mounted and Sakura stepped up to smite them since they were inferior warriors that crumbled easily under her powerful attacks. But despite her obvious superiority, the enemies kept coming and increasingly in greater numbers and with a wider assortment of weapons. Thankfully, they were still classical weapons and not firearms.

As they turned on yet another identical street this time Ino barked "Get down!" as she heard the peculiar whistle of arrows on the flight. Naruto and Sakura obeyed and right where they were three arrows struck the wall next to them.

Ino then loosed an arrow of her own striking a standing archer on a roof top who was mechanically preparing to shoot again.

"Now archers?! What the hell?!" complained Sakura as she panted lightly over the effort of fighting and running.

"Watch out Sakura-chan!" shouted Naruto as he threw the tipped half of his spear into the face of a blade warrior that came from the portal of the house they were next to.

At that the trio started running once again but Naruto didn't manage to get back his tipped half and just kept the other end as a club. Sakura told him to stay on tow as he was poorly armed and the press of enemies didn't allow them to pick up other weapons.

As they ran and stopped to fight, Sakura would fend off approaching enemies to clear a path or put more distance while Ino scanned the rooftops and shot down any archers.

"I am running out of arrows!" warned Ino as she felt the lighter weight of her quiver next to her hip. Sakura just nodded as her breath was coming more labored, only Naruto remained somewhat rested as he was the one trying to get them out of there. But for some reason, even though he was well oriented he couldn't manage to work a way out there as the enemies cut off paths and the streets were maze like identical in general outlay.

"We'll be in trouble if I can't shoot at the archers…" warned Ino as she loosed another arrow at a standing archer who thankfully pulled another with it as it dropped neutralized.

Sakura nodded and turned to Naruto "Any way out yet? Otherwise we may have to get into one of the houses for shelter…but we will be trapped and surrounded and my weapon isn't for closed environments"

Naruto nodded a bit nervously and replied "I-I can't find a way out Sakura-chan…it's like we are being herded and this place just gets me lost. Also, there are few stars up there to even work as a guide…"

"I am sorry Sakura…Naruto. I brought you out here over a stupid reason…" said Ino looking quite guilty.

Naruto chuckled and said "No worries, I am always getting in trouble so this is no biggie for me!"

Sakura was indeed a bit angry at Ino but seeing her like that made her put a hand on Ino's shoulder and say "Hey…I came along right? So I am just as dumb and to be honest I wanted the same as you. If anything you were the bolder of us"

Ino teared up but Naruto pushed her and Sakura apart as the whistling of arrows alerted them again to an attack. Ino quickly rounded on the archers and quickly dispatched them leaving just three more arrows in her quiver.

"Quickly, less talk and more running!" Ino barked ready to move again but upon turning to check on her companions her eyes went wide with shock as Sakura had let her Naginata drop to the ground as she held Naruto upright with her arms. The boy had three arrows buried deep in his chest and his eyes were just as shocked as hers.

For a moment that stretched for hours for them, they remained still as more enemies turned the corner and began to close on them.

Then Sakura's knees finally buckled and she dropped to them still cradling Naruto's body that came to rest on her lap with his face twisting in pain as his arms trembled.

Ino couldn't believe the scene before her but knowing they were in danger she threw her bow and Sakura's Naginata through the opened gate of a fence around a large house and turning to Sakura she said "Get him to cover! These guys doesn't seem that smart so a fence might keep them busy as they try to find a way in!"

Sakura just nodded looking dumbstruck and helped by Ino dragged Naruto's body through the fence gate and quickly closed it and barred it with a log standing next to it.

Once inside it didn't took long for the armored men to start battering at the gates, but they seemed to hold strong for the moment which allowed the girls to see to the stricken Naruto.

Sakura's first instinct was to reach for the arrows but Ino's swift hand stopped her while saying "Don't! Pull them out and you risk making him bleed faster!"

"T-Then what do we do?! Replied Sakura with a trembling quickly panicking voice.

"G-Get out of here…" said Naruto looking tired and pale.

"What are you saying you idiot?! We need to get you some help…" said Sakura with wide eyes that went from his face to the three black arrows piercing his chest.

Naruto chuckled very lightly and replied "I-I don't think it will do me much good…But I can buy you a few seconds…Use the yards of these houses to avoid those creeps and keep going as far as you can…Heh heh, should have done that before huh?"

Sakura was about to bonk him out of instinct but her hand simply dropped on his forehead softly and she used it to clear the hair from his dulling eyes.

At that moment the battering on the door became harder and the sound of creaking wood warned that it wouldn't be long before they broke through.

"Sakura…" whispered Ino placing a hand on Sakura's shoulder which the pink hair shrugged off.

"No! We can't! We can't leave this idiot here! He'll get scolded with us and you still need to buy him a new spear!" said Sakura as her voice started to whimper.

Naruto looked up and giving Ino a knowing look, he then stared at Sakura and smiling said "You'll think I am terrible but even like this you still look really pretty Sakura-chan…"

That made Sakura's tears sprout from her eyes and drop on Naruto's face.

"Say Sakura-chan…Before you go, can I ask you for something?" asked Naruto still smiling.

Sakura was unable to speak and simply nodded.

"Would you mind giving me my first kiss? I know I am not the one you would like to kiss but then again, I don't think I'll be able to earn it fairly later…" said Naruto barely in a whisper.

At this, even Ino's tears rolled down her eyes as Sakura blushed amidst tears but closing her eyes she nodded and placing Naruto's head gently on the grass of the yard she hovered above him carefully as to not disturb the arrows.

She gulped and wiping the tears from her face leaned until her lips were less than a finger away from Naruto's slightly parted ones.

Hesitating a bit she said "I am sorry Naruto…"

Naruto chuckled and said "I love you Sakura"

Naruto managed to lift his head and met Sakura's lips midway almost laughing in it but knowing that his time was short simply deepened the kiss as best as he could and to his joy Sakura replied in kind awkwardly at first but eventually they found each other's perfect position and shared in that intimate moment.

Sakura closed her eyes and all she could think of was of how many times Naruto had encouraged her as they grew and how he was the only guy in Konoha to ever say she was pretty and the most amazing girl in the world. She always thought him annoying and getting in her way, but the truth simply shattered her heart further.

Ino turned her face away and instead focused on the gate which started to crack under the constant battering from the armored men.

"Sakura…" said Ino thinking they should be moving soon but her next words died in her throat when she saw what was happening, for before her eyes something unlike anything she has ever witnessed was taking place.

Sakura and Naruto were still locked in their farewell kiss but around them a glowing dark red aura was growing.

"W-What's that? Sakura?" wondered Ino aloud as the couple finally stopped kissing.

"Don't give up Sakura-chan…" whispered Naruto as he closed his eyes.

"N-Naruto?..." asked Sakura in confusion of his last words, but seeing him silent and unmoving made her gasp just as the armored men broke through prompting Ino to round on them and deliver her last arrows on the front ones.

Sakura turned to the sound of the fighting and turning her eyes back to the content looking Naruto she growled "Give him back…"

At this moment Ino had reversed the grip of her bow to use it as a staff but given its composition it wouldn't give her more than a stick of a weapon with which to overcome armored warriors.

"Give him back!" shouted Sakura in an almost warped voice that made Ino turn around just in time to evade a coming crescent of bright red light that obliterated the gate, the warriors pouring through and most of the house's tall fence.

The force of the attack had propelled Ino back from the fence and as she recovered from the blast, she observed how Sakura threw herself at the coming enemies with reckless abandon splitting them and obliterating them with her glaive.

Sakura would cut most of the enemies down and every once in a while would deliver another wave of that materialized light that went through the warriors destroying them with explosive force.

Ino gasped when attacks began to land on the reckless Sakura but to her surprise the weapons not only failed to even scratch her, but splinter and snap against her frame.

After a couple of arrows struck Sakura's back and she retaliated against the archers standing on rooftop, she walked back to stand over Naruto's body as to guard it while she welcomed the coming tides of enemies.

Here, Ino finally gathered the courage to approach Sakura before the growing press of enemies was too much for this changed warrior. She placed a hand on Sakura's shoulder and made her turn slightly

"S-Sakura?" asked the girl with a trembling voice as she let go of the girl whose expression didn't soften at all.

The blonde girl looked down and saw the prone body of Naruto three arrows buried deep in his chest and a content smile on his face.

Looking back at the pink haired girl called Sakura, the girl said "S-Sakura…we must go!"

Sakura's eyes went wide and growling she brought her large weapon about and lifting it, said "Give him back!"

The blonde girl's eyes closed as the weapon's shining edge came for her…

 **AN: And that's it for the first chapter of my new story!**

 **Love it, hate it? Be sure to let me know so I can keep on this or perhaps focus somewhere else.**

 **Now, I know the first chapter may be a bit too long but no matter how I looked at it, I just couldn't shorten it. I thought of giving you a two part intro chapter but better to let you have the whole thing already to hear your thoughts.**

 **For fans of my other stories, I know I promised to update and release these stories sooner but I had to buy a new Laptop (I just can't write in a tablet) since the old one went bust on me.**

 **Anyway, hope you like my newest project!**

 **Read, Enjoy and Review!**


	2. The Big One

**Chapter 2: The Big One**

"Not like this! Not by her!" thought Ino with closed eyes as the glowing Naginata's blade descended like an executioner's judgement upon her.

A gust of wind and a reverberant strike of metal on metal was all that came in the next instant prompting the light blonde girl to open her eyes warily and upon seeing the back of a person with a long tan colored long coat that went wide.

"Man! That was close! Yamanaka, are you alright?!" hurriedly asked Anko Mitarashi as she held Sakura's Naginata at bay with a set of twin curved short blades commonly known as Wakizashi but these lacked the traditional hilt making them look like metal fangs.

"Instructor Anko?..." asked Ino in disbelief that help had arrived at long last, albeit somewhat late given the situation.

"The one and only…You better step back while I handle this brat" grunted Anko as she managed to push back Sakura who seemed startled at the recent arrival. But soon enough her rage was etched once more on her face and got ready to deliver another devastating attack.

Sakura this time moved her glaive sideways to make Anko's defense harder but the instructor smirked and bent backwards until she was flat and used her blades to form a human table. The attack went above her and obliterated the few remaining black armored warriors still walking towards her.

Anko pushed herself up and sheathing one of her blades quickly groped her own chest and whistled "Man, for a second there I thought you were going to cap my mountains into hills!"

Ino couldn't believe what she was seeing as the instructor apparently had little trouble dealing with the power crazed Sakura who at the moment seemed to have taken greater offense at Anko's dismissing joke.

Seeing Sakura's growing anger Anko reversed the grip on her blades and raising one hand in a placating manner said "Alright Haruno, I am going to ask that you stand down. I don't want to hurt you if I can help it, so just breathe and lower your blade"

"You can't hurt me! Now give him back!" roared Sakura in return with a wide upward swing of the glaive that sent a growing crescent of glowing red energy in Anko's direction, but the instructor easily sidestepped it further impressing Ino who was on her knees unable to move as she witnessed such a battle.

Anko observed the prone Naruto pierced by three black arrows and looking up to Sakura quickly made the math and said "Oh boy, I am starting to guess what happened here…Yamanaka, did they kiss?!"

Ino was too dumbstruck to speak so she simply nodded making Anko frown and sigh in frustration saying "Do no one follow rules anymore? I'll have all three of your asses after this is over. And that's the easy part, wait until Tsunade is through with you guys!"

"Three of us?..." Ino wondered in a breath and in obvious confusion.

Anko turned to Sakura and warned "Last chance Haruno! Lower your weapon and take a breath or I'll make you!"

Sakura's response was now a series of attacks that due to their speed were less powerful making short lived crescents of energy head for Anko who would dodge them with ease until the pink haired girl made a feint and with a reverse movement managed to make a small cut in Anko's long coat.

Anko saw the coat and growling said "That does it you little bitch!"

Ino observed Anko stand upright on both her feet and got shocked once more as a dark purplish aura started to glow around the instructor and with it the air got cold but charged somehow as Sakura's anger seemed to flare to greater heights.

Sakura readied yet another one of her deadly attacks but this time Anko took the initiative and with a powerful step that boomed the air around it, she was suddenly next to her opponent and within her guard.

Sakura looked surprised but started to turn and retreat as to deliver a counter to Anko's sudden approach. The instructor though didn't let her and snaking around her weapon swiftly got behind Sakura and tightening her grip on one of the blades delivered a powerful strike with the pommel to the back of her head.

Ino winced at the force of the impact that made a loud noise but to her surprise Sakura just dropped to her knee with her eyes shut in pain.

Still this was all Anko needed to sheathe her blades and put Sakura on a choke hold to which she couldn't do anything against.

"Calm down girl, everything is alright. Just breathe" whispered Anko into Sakura's ear as her hair shadowed her eyes.

The position Anko held Sakura forced the pink haired to stare at Naruto and his immobile form made tears well up in her eyes and with a whimper Sakura finally calmed down and sobbing said "No…nothing is alright…Naruto is…he is…and it's my fault"

Finally the red glowing aura left Sakura and she went limp in Anko's hold dropping her Naginata to the ground. At this Ino finally found it in her to stand up and jogging went and held the girl as Anko let her go as her own aura also disappeared.

"It's my fault Sakura! It's all on me so don't punish yourself over this!" said Ino, her voice twisted with guilt and sadness.

"Will you drop the drama for later?!" suddenly a stern female voice boomed through the area as the armored men crumbled down and turned into dust.

Walking while flanked by actual living ceremonially armed guards, Tsunade Senju approached them clad not in her usual regal kimono but in clothes more fitting a martial artist with an emerald green sleeveless shirt tied with a yellow sash. She wore dark blue tight fitting pants that ended just below the knee with her feet covered in high heeled leather sandals. Her arms were covered in custom made metal gauntlets.

"These three were the morons who stupidly wandered into the Killing Field" commented Anko walking up to Tsunade who gave her a quick disapproving glance over her lack of respect for her person.

Tsunade nodded and asked "Which one?"

"The pinky with the moron over there" pointed Anko with her thumb making Sakura snap at her saying "Don't you dare talk about him like that!"

Tsunade gave Anko another dirty glance that made the girl roll her eyes and walk away while putting her arms behind her head. The War Princess then turned her gaze on the younger girls and after a moment it softened a bit.

Tsunade then walked over to Sakura and Ino and kneeling in front of them waved Ino away from Sakura who looked quite miserable.

Suddenly, Tsunade took Sakura in her embrace and softly said "Oh my poor foolish child…don't you know what you just did? What you became?"

Sakura seemed confused while Ino's eyes went wide in shock and observing the destruction around brought by her lifelong friend she said "Did she? Did she become a…Samurai?"

Tsunade closed her eyes and nodded making Sakura's eyes go wide and all she could do was turn towards Naruto who remained prone and still looking quite happy.

"Then…my Daimyo is…?" commented Sakura as Tsunade let her go and began to stand up.

"But…he is…gone. How can it be possible?" asked Ino quite confused over the situation for common knowledge said that a Samurai couldn't exist without her Daimyo.

Tsunade smirked and shaking her head slowly said "He isn't gone girls. Take a closer look"

At that both Sakura and Ino walked towards Naruto and finally noticed that the arrows were not just gone but there was no blood to be seen. And his face wasn't pale at all despite still being frozen in that content expression.

Sakura seemed quite scared so it was Ino knelt by his side and placing her hand next to his cheek noticed it was still warm. She then slid two fingers to his neck and with wide eyes turned to Sakura and simply nodded.

"The Killing Field doesn't actually kill people unless you break your neck or something. It is a simulation of a combat situation, you were never in any real danger besides injuring yourselves" explained Tsunade feeling a hefty amount of pity for the youngsters.

"But how…how did you do that?" asked the baffled Ino as Sakura was the one now kneeling next to Naruto who somehow sensed her and smiled further.

Tsunade smirked and said "Had you waited for the day of training you would have been informed on how it was done. In any case, that's the least of your concerns at the moment for you three are in a mountain load of trouble"

At that Ino gulped but turning to look at Sakura she forgot her fear and simply felt remorse as her friend just kept watching Naruto sleep while hesitating over touching him or not.

"What's going to happen with Naruto and Sakura?..." asked Ino thinking ahead.

Tsunade turned to them and replied "Well…for starters we will all have a long and very serious talk and then we'll see"

On the meantime Sakura finally mustered the courage to touch Naruto, only for the boy to turn in his sleep while muttering "Another pork Ramen bowl please Uncle Teuchi…"

Sakura's concerns vanished as she had to resist the urge to punch the sleeping blonde in front of her.

 **The Next Day**

Naruto, Sakura and Ino were placed under "arrest" and as such were excused from attending their lessons that day. The explanation given to the other candidates who asked was simply skipping curfew and on physical training for the remainder of the day.

In truth the three had been taken first to the medical wing of the Palace District where the three were screened for injuries and after finding none they were discharged and moved on to the Temple Annex of the Shogun's Palace.

In there, temple attendants took their clothes and bathed them thoroughly and somewhat painfully as they were scrubbed with special herbs and smooth stones. In Naruto's case the cleansing was even more thorough as obviously the boy had issues with his personal hygiene…

They were given then white yukatas with red sashes and then allowed to be moved into the Palace though not through where they expected as they travelled hidden corridors.

Tsunade now dressed in her regal attire albeit missing several ornaments explained that the Palace was now largely filled with bureaucrats and court officials that saw to the day to day affairs of running the Land of Fire in good order.

During the long trek though neither Naruto or Sakura exchanged words and Ino couldn't blame them as they were now, apparently, Daimyo and Samurai and common knowledge was that such roles were for life and immutable. A deal from which there was no way back.

Ino noticed that Sakura looked distraught and visibly shaken, but every time she watched Naruto the girl would frown with a mixture of embarrassment and frustration before turning away and repeat the cycle.

On his part Naruto walked looking down with a remorseful look on him that became one of anguish every time he stole a glance at Sakura but soon enough a guilty smile would draw itself on his face; and then the whole cycle repeated itself as well.

"What a mess…I always knew those two were more a fit than many would admit but to the point of becoming such a couple?!" thought Ino feeling a bit bad for Sakura and even Naruto. But also quite jealous that Sakura beat her to becoming a Samurai.

Looking up to Tsunade who walked in short but purposeful steps Ino asked "Lady Tsunade…where are we going?"

Tsunade spared her a cold glance that softened a bit upon seeing the girl's confused and a bit scared face. Stopping, she sighed and replied "To see the Shogun and decide what's going to happen"

At the mention of the Land of Fire's absolute undisputed ruler both Sakura and Ino stopped on their tracks while the distracted Naruto stumbled and walked into Tsunade whose "generous" assets cushioned his face before pushing back with somewhat enviable force finally making the boy put attention.

"Naruto!" barked a blushing Sakura bonking the boy over the head who blushed in turn and quickly apologized.

Tsunade smirked and pushing her chest said "Glad to see you two finally snapped out of it!"

"The Shogun? Are we going to be…?" whispered Ino just loud enough to be heard making Tsunade walk up to her and say "Hey, don't worry. The old man is nicer than you think, particularly to pretty girls"

"What of dashingly handsome boys?" asked Naruto naively worried about his own neck.

Tsunade smirked again and said "Believe it or not, he also has a soft spot for spunky perverts like you" she turned and muttered "Otherwise Jiraiya would have been executed a thousand times already…"

Naruto was visibly relieved prompting yet another bonk to the head from an angry blushing Sakura who muttered "Don't admit you are a pervert in public you moron!"

Naruto chuckled and following Sakura said "I won't Sakura-chan!"

Ino sighed slightly relieved at Tsunade's words, but still she was nervous for the Shogun's decrees were absolute and his word was law. And not even her belonging to a Clan with Samurai and Daimyo in its lineage could change the Shogun's will.

After traversing the hidden corridors the small group finally made it to what only they could guess were the living quarters of the Palace for the decorations were more exquisite and the servants went by discreetly making as little noise as it was possible.

People living here were basically non-existent for this place was reserved for the Shogun in person and any members of his court, family or Harem. Nevertheless the Harem thing was in truth an insulting title for the cadre of Samurai serving directly under him…

Still the lack of people around was unsettling as they moved to an upper floor that only contained a single room with a large set of red wood doors with bronze hinges and ornaments in the shape of flames. On the door frame the inscription "Will of Fire" was present in the symbols of the country's oldest dialects.

Before the gates both Sakura and Ino looked a bit apprehensive and Naruto mirrored their expression as he knew a thing or two about getting into real trouble. But seeing them prompted Naruto upright himself and flashing them with a bright grin he said "Don't worry girls! It will be alright! Believe it!"

Naruto though was shaking a bit himself which in turn made the girls blink and after looking at one another giggled a bit making the boy blush and turn away. Still they appreciated that he tried to cheer them up.

With that the gates parted revealing a long hall lit by burning braziers and candles giving the room and warm atmosphere.

Tsunade prompted the youngsters and these led by Naruto walked into the room which's silence was broken by the play of a soft string musical instrument being played by a hidden musician. Lining the walls and shrouded in shadows were the silhouettes of females holding on to an assortment of weapons and apparently ready to jump at a moment's notice to protect their master.

At the bottom of the room stood a small elevated dais surrounded by four posts hanging from them was a bamboo veil with the symbol of "Fire" painted on it.

"Candidates! Before you stands the Third Shogun of the Land of Fire Hiruzen Sarutobi!" suddenly barked Tsunade in a commanding voice prompting both Ino and Sakura to drop on their knees and bow until their heads touched the floor with their hands placed in front of them extended with their palms down. The absolute prostration from the country's servants to the maximum figure of authority.

Sakura and Ino knew well whom they stood before and as such they behaved accordingly for this was a man who stood above all.

A male wizened chuckle resounded prompting both girls to dare raise their faces from the floor and both went pale upon seeing Naruto standing proudly with his arms crossed and straining his eyes to look through the wooden veil.

At that both girls reached out for his ankles and yanking them brought the boy face first to the floor and there both forced him into a prostrating stance while saying "You are going to get us executed you idiot!"

"You brought me quite the interesting fellow Tsunade…is it confirmed?" said the voice of an old man that was surprisingly kind though underneath one could sense the steel of a hardened leader who commanded a powerful nation.

Tsunade bowed slightly making the girls surprised but reflecting on it, a woman with the title of War Princess must have a level of influence to not having to bow as deeply as they did.

"It is confirmed. I and Anko Mitarashi are witnesses to the event and healers applied the proper tests during their evaluation. The pact is made" said Tsunade sounding dead serious.

The man behind the curtain sighed as if lamenting what happened making Sakura feel immensely bothered over what she knew happened.

"Youth these days, they jump the gun so easily…" said the voice making Sakura look even more miserably while Naruto directed a challenging look at the curtain.

Somehow the three sensed the attention of the man behind the curtain rested on them and felt like wanting to step back.

"Naruto Uzumaki…Sakura Haruno…do you know what has happened?" asked the man with authority.

Before any could reply the man continued "You two…man it's hot in here! Can we take this outside?!"

At that the three youngsters made a confused expression while Tsunade sighed in embarrassment.

 **Moments Later…**

The young ones were escorted by the Samurai within the hall and brought to a beautiful garden with small ponds and peacocks strolling around flower beds and lush bushes. At the end of a stone road was a fine stone kiosk next to a pond with Koi fishes swimming in it.

They were all seated and refreshments were brought while from the palace came an old but kind looking man in white and red robes escorted by manservants and surrounded by armed beautiful females they guessed were the Samurai from the hall.

The young ones looked at the man with confusion until Tsunade pointed out that it was the Shogun which prompted them to bow deeply. Sakura grabbed Naruto by the hair and forced him to bow painfully.

Hiruzen saw this and chuckling bade his Samurai escort to take their guarding positions away and lighting a pipe, took a seat at the table bidding the others to join him.

Sighing while enjoying the breeze the old man said "Much better don't you think? Personally I never liked that other room but protocol demands some absurd things sometimes. I like it better here where I can see the sky and if you walk a bit further into the garden you can observe the whole of Keishi light up at night. A much recommended sight if you ever get the chance!"

The young ones were at a complete loss on how to respond to the Shogun's candidness and instinctively looked up to Tsunade who blushed a bit and noticing their looks coughed drawing the Shogun's attention to the task at hand.

Hiruzen laughed again and putting down his pipe said "Well, where to begin? Well…Naruto Uzumaki I guess you already know why you are here correct?"

"I became a Daimyo…correct?" replied Naruto quite uncertain about the man in front of him.

Hiruzen cocked his head and said "Did you now?"

Naruto seemed confused by the reply but the old man turned his gaze to the girls and asked "And who among you is Sakura Haruno?"

The girls noticed that Hiruzen was looking straight at Sakura so the girl shyly said "I am your lordship"

Hiruzen nodded and replied "What do you think you are right now Sakura?"

Sakura blinked and lowering her face replied "A-A Samurai…?"

Hiruzen smirked and said "A Samurai? We shall see yet"

The Shogun finally turned to Ino and with a smile said "A Yamanaka correct?"

Ino blinked and blushing simply nodded making Hiruzen smile and add "Those eyes and hair are quite telling my dear. I still remember your great grandaunt Inara, quite a fearsome and elegant sight on the battle field. No target ever escaped her _farsight_ "

Ino remembered the tale of Inara Yamanaka, the first Samurai of the Yamanaka Clan and loyal servant of the second Shogun Tobirama Senju during the first Elemental Wars. Her greatest skill was the _farsight_ which was a technique her fabled Samurai skills allowed her to strike her target at impossible distances and some even said beyond obstacles like walls and hills. Some other Samurai from her clan tried to imitate her skill but no one ever matched her fabled level.

The Shogun then turned to Naruto and Sakura and his eyes hardened a little. He then said "Tell me with your own words, what do you kids believe, is a Samurai and Daimyo? Don't fear your answer in front of me so be honest"

"A-A Samurai is the world's greatest warrior and the country's ultimate weapon and deterrent. Only other Samurai can contend with one. They fight under the guidance of a Daimyo and swear fealty to the Shogun" said Sakura in her textbook response although she almost immediately regretted her answer as the Shogun had demanded her own words.

Hiruzen noted this and graciously nodded her to continue.

"A-A Samurai is…what I was told when little that I could become if I worked hard. I also learned that they were the characters of the most enduring and fantastic romances…I have always wanted to become a Samurai but I guess I never wondered why exactly do I want to become one" said Sakura sounding increasingly confused.

Hiruzen though seemed satisfied with the answer and turning to Naruto he nodded to have him speak.

"Well, as Sakura-chan said, a Daimyo is a Samurai's guide in battle. I think they are also strategists for the country's armies…" said Naruto quite uncertain and a bit ashamed that he knew so little about what he wanted to become.

"Still I wanted to become Sakura-chan's Daimyo because I know that being a Samurai is to fight…and I guess I just wanted to help and protect her however I could" said Naruto blushing harshly and lowering his face to avoid being seen by his quite obvious crush.

Sakura blushed as well but she seemed rather guilty over some reason.

Hiruzen though chuckled effectively lightening the awkward atmosphere he forced upon the group.

When the gathering turned its attention to him he said "Well, you are not completely wrong but neither are you grasping exactly what it means to be Daimyo and Samurai"

"Daimyo and Samurai, young ones, are existences that in few words should be called miraculous. For they were born in an era of endless bloodshed and suffering" continued the old Shogun

"They came to be to not fight in the name of one's clan but to protect them from the harsh realities of our once fractured Land. Some say it was a boon from compassionate deities who pitied us from their lofty thrones" finished the Shogun as he made a pause.

Hiruzen himself knew he didn't make much sense either so with a smile continued "Daimyo and Samurai are not beings who fight and conquer, but beings that protect that which they love. Their friends, their families and their home, in essence they are there to protect that which both of them love most deeply"

"Hence the common but understandable misconception that Daimyo are just a romantic relationship!" pointed out the Shogun but Ino scowled at that.

"What of the kiss then?!" demanded Ino forgetting her place for a moment making Naruto and Sakura flinch and turn away from each other.

The Shogun looked trapped and directed Tsunade a pleading look. The woman sighed and said "The workings of how Daimyo and Samurai become so are a State Secret but direct physical contact is indeed required…that's why we forbid romance among candidates"

Ino didn't seem convinced but accepted the answer for the time being as she remembered who she was talking with.

Naruto and Sakura then silently reflected on that which at the moment they wanted to protect the most and realized all they could think about was the other and their memories.

"Well, with that out of the way…let us talk then about what happens now with the two of you kids" finally said Hiruzen lacing his fingers and placing his hands over the table in a serious manner that lent him gravity.

"What are out options?" asked Sakura.

"Well…your situation isn't unprecedented but it does represents a number of issues that we have managed to control through the systems we stablished over the decades" Hiruzen started saying.

"As you know, the country was made by Daimyo and Samurai in the first place and its current existence revolves around that fact. But most importantly, it endures under the order established by the existence of the Shogun who brought all Daimyo and their Samurai under his rule thus creating the Land of Fire as you know it" continued Hiruzen.

"Under such rule, no Daimyo or Samurai could exist that didn't swore his allegiance to him…as such it became a matter of state to control their existence and their formation as generations moved on" added Hiruzen.

"So basically you two stand here to determine if you want to become Daimyo and Samurai, or not. Think carefully for this decision is a lifetime one" finished Tsunade crossing her arms and directing them a harsh look.

"What happens if they don't want to become so?" Ino dared to ask.

Naruto and Sakura looked at their blonde companion and then to Tsunade who sighed and said "You'll get taken out from the Academy and get sent to your hometowns. There you'll follow a normal life but certain conditions will be given to you both"

"What are they?" asked Sakura feeling nervous.

"You avoid contact with each other and you'll be under constant, albeit discreet, surveillance by the country and forbidden from using your skills. You'll also be barred from occupying any positions on any government level and within its military too" explained Tsunade making the two youngsters feel cornered.

"That is no choice…" thought Ino wanting to speak up but knew better.

"The other choice?" asked Naruto a bit scared of what may be the other option.

"You two officially become Daimyo and Samurai of the Land of Fire and in light of your special circumstances, given the proper formation to become so. Nevertheless as the Shogun explained, this is a commitment for life which means that all other venues will get closed to you and as such, this will be the road you'll tread till the end" quickly explained Tsunade sounding even less pleased than when speaking of the first harsh choice.

Being given the options Naruto and Sakura went silent and lowering their heads seemed to go deep in thought for whatever path they chose would be one from which they couldn't deviate now.

It was Naruto though who rose his head first and at this Hiruzen asked "Reached a decision?"

Naruto laughed nervously and scratching the back of his head said "Well…I kind of did but it doesn't seem fair for me to say anything here"

"Your meaning?" asked Hiruzen looking as if he already knew the answer.

"That I'll do whatever Sakura-chan decides…It was me who got her in this whole mess to begin with so I'll go along with whatever she picks" replied Naruto blushing a bit.

"You dummy…" muttered Sakura and Ino shared her thought for this was dumping the fate of two on her shoulders.

"Still it's true it was him who asked her to kiss him and it was not like she, or anyone, can refuse a dying man's wish" thought Ino looking sideways

Sakura then finally lifted her face towards Tsunade and asked "Is being a Samurai…worth it?"

Tsunade looked honestly surprised and a bit taken off but to her credit she recovered her composure and closing her eyes she looked a bit pained. She then opened her eyes and with steel in them she said "It is a very difficult road Sakura…It is a road of service that only ends in death. It's a road filled with sacrifice and pain and its rewards are few"

This seemed to discourage Sakura a bit but Tsunade wasn't over and softening her gaze she added "But it is indeed a worthy path and those few rewards are really good ones…"

Sakura nodded grateful for her superior's answer and taking a long breath said "I have always wanted to become a Samurai…but never really thought of what it took to become a Samurai in the first place"

"I understand that I would have to fight…to kill in the name of my country…but I, after having experienced how it is to be like you my Lady. I think I can do it so that others don't have to…" said Sakura with a small smile.

"Sakura-chan…you don't really have to…" said Naruto softly not liking the tone of resignation in her voice.

Sakura turned to Naruto with a not very pleased expression and flicking him on the forehead said "What about you moron? Isn't becoming a Daimyo what you wanted as well?"

Naruto rubbed his forehead and replied "I do but I don't want to force you, if you don't want to!"

"Is your conviction that strong then? That you can ditch your dreams aside that easily?" asked Sakura still looking a bit upset.

"Of course not! I never go back on my word!" replied Naruto puffing his chest making Sakura smirk a bit.

Ino in turn softened her expression while thinking "Unless it is for her that is…He truly is the real deal and you didn't get it Sakura…"

"Then it's decided I guess. We shall become Samurai and Daimyo…" began to say Sakura but upon seeing Naruto's growing blush she took him by the ear and added "But don't get any funny ideas you pervert! We are just partners!"

Hiruzen smiled silently while Tsunade sighed in both annoyance and relief. Nevertheless she directed the two younglings a look of grief and concern born out from her own experiences.

The Shogun nodded and said "Well, it seems you both will be an interesting pair to watch. In the coming days you'll be briefed to your new duties and status. But with that figured out, we still have one last matter to tend to"

Hiruzen's gaze became fixed on Ino and the girl gulped while she felt like a deer facing a wolf.

"My dear, I am afraid that you have been witness to the birth of a Samurai and believe it or not that's dangerous and very coveted knowledge due to the reasons stated about social order we covered before" began to explain Hiruzen.

Ino gulped and quickly figured then inherent threat in the Shogun's words. She quickly said "I-I would never say anything about what I saw! I am a loyal servant of the Land of Fire and the Shogun!"

"Yeah! She is from a family with Daimyo and Samurai from the Land of Fire!" argued Sakura standing up.

"Right! She is a gossip and a bit annoying but she is totally loyal! Believe it!" added Naruto making Sakura bite her lip else she giggled at the boy's really dumb but somewhat accurate comment on her friend.

Ino resisted the urge to climb over the table and strangle Naruto but she understood he wasn't the sharpest knife in the kitchen and he defended her much to her surprise since she couldn't recall a single time when she was nice to the boy…

Tsunade smirked but it was Hiruzen who chuckling spoke first "You seem to have taken my comment as a threat; I apologize. Your family has a distinguished record serving this country since the days of vaunted Shogun Hashirama and I don't doubt your loyalty"

"My comment was a warning that danger may fall on you over the knowledge you have glimpsed. There is much you ignore about the makings of Daimyo and Samurai, but alone what you just saw is enough for many who seek the secret to get on the right track" commented Hiruzen making the teenagers start to realize how serious the subject was and after bearing witness to the power unleashed, they understood why secrecy and control was paramount.

Ino nodded and said "I understand my Lord. What I was witness to will be my secret to the end and as a hopeful Samurai, I'll even take my own life before I reveal anything that an enemy may use"

At this point both Naruto and Sakura had to admire Ino for she just reminded them of her lineage and taught them a bit of the world that for good or ill they were part from now.

Hiruzen nodded and replied "You honor your family and your ancestors with such fine words my dear. But let's work to avoid such an end alright? After all the secret is just between a few souls right now, so let's keep it that way and there will be nothing to regret after"

Hiruzen then nodded to Tsunade who clearing her throat and directing her gaze to the new Daimyo/Samurai pair said "Very well, with all matters cleared your first instruction will be that you are to return to your dorms and pack all of your belongings"

 **The Next Day**

Having been sent back to the dorms both Naruto and Sakura packed their belonging while avoiding having to answer any questions made by their peers. Rumors started quickly and they went from serious indiscipline to a forbidden romance in Academy grounds.

The presence of District Guards in their traditional fashion didn't help to ease the questioning but the more keen eyed noted that the guards didn't treat neither Naruto and Sakura with harshness but with a quiet respect that such individuals gave to their superiors.

Ino was subject to questioning as well since she was also absent during Naruto and Sakura's own. But unlike them she wasn't going to leave the dorms. All she did manage to assure others was that neither was getting expelled from the Academy.

Shikamaru and Chouji managed to question her as well but failed to get any different information than that publicly given.

Once their packing was done, Naruto and Sakura were placed in a carriage and then taken to another section of the District which was more isolated and bountiful with greenery and isolated large properties.

On this journey Tsunade accompanied them and explained that such properties were the housing of Daimyo and Samurai pairs currently in training. Such buildings were their Dojos and within their walls they trained and tuned their affinity to become the warriors the country demanded.

Such pairs were in truth last year students from the Academy and once done with their training they would be placed directly under the Shogun's orders and dispatched to where their presence was needed like the borders or on tour through the country.

At this both Naruto and Sakura blushed while at the same time got excited for they would be living together and at the same time train to become fully fledged Daimyo and Samurai.

Both teens wondered at the large and rather luxurious buildings until they reached a forested patch of the Palace District where for some reason the landscaping was lacking in the extreme as bushes were overgrown, thorny vines crawled over trees with very thick tops.

Before the thickest segment of the patch the carriage finally stopped and Tsunade declared "Here we are kids, grab your things for we have some walking left to do"

"What? Where is our Dojo then?" asked Sakura concerned over not being able to see the building.

Tsunade nodded her head towards the forested patch and said "Behind all that I am afraid, that's why the carriage can't take us directly. So better whip out your Naginata for some gardening"

"Hey! What joke is this?!" angrily demanded Naruto getting up in Tsunade's face but her being taller than the teenager made his face stare at her generous cleavage making him blush and swallow.

Tsunade smirked and placing a hand on his head she started to tighten her grip on it while saying "Well, if you had listened to our instructions then you wouldn't be here in the first place. Also Dojos are special buildings and as such not high on numbers"

Forcefully turning Naruto's head in the forested patch's direction she continued "As all other Dojos are filled at the moment this is the best we can spare for you horny shrimp! So be glad you even get a Dojo in the first place!"

Tsunade finally let go of Naruto who started to rub his head as Sakura approached her and asked "Is there really a Dojo within that place?"

Tsunade softened her expression and said "Yes there is, a rather old one though and long without use…It has been scheduled for demolishing for a while but a lot of folks think it ill luck so the request has fallen through the cracks over and over. Rubbish if you ask me but quite convenient given the present situation"

"And is it usable?" wondered Sakura already annoyed of having to use her blade to cut through such thick scenery.

"It should be, it will be in need of a hand to return it to proper working order though. We will be giving you a hand with that so no biggie" explained Tsunade.

With that the trio waded into the forestry where they found a stone walkway. Sakura had to blemish her blade cutting tall grass, thick bushes and in a couple of occasions a few growing trees that began to grown in cracks among the stones.

Naruto on his side had to pull weeds and vines here and there and one could tell he was quite skilled at doing so for he managed to avoid getting cut or making a mess.

After a bit of trekking the group finally made it to the front door of a large property whose walls had peeled off white graying paint and with vines growing all over them. The place under such conditions could be hidden from a wandering eye.

Tsunade produced an old large iron key and approaching the door noticed that the lock was covered in rust. She tried to use the key but as expected it wasn't going to work so sighing she pulled back the sleeve of the Kimono and clenched a fist tightly.

Naruto and Sakura turned to Tsunade as they felt a change in the air that became charged. The older woman breathed out harshly and her fist basically disappeared as it shot forward followed by an explosion that shattered the rusted lock and sent the doors wide open almost tearing them from their squeaking hinges.

Both teens gulped at such demonstration of power but Tsunade seemed unfazed and rolling down her sleeve turned to them and said "Well, get in. The inside is in better shape than I expected"

The group then advanced into the property and saw a large yard of overgrown grass with weeds climbing over the wall. At the center stood two large buildings. One was a housing three floors tall complex large enough to accommodate about a dozen or so people; while the other was a formal Dojo with wooden floors that used to be flat and finely polished but now were cracked, bloated with humidity and had several boards cracked, broken or missing.

The dark red tiles from the roofs were cracked, bleached by the sun and in several areas missing while in others had fallen to the ground.

"What a dump…" thought Sakura already missing her comfortable bed back at the neatly kept dorms.

"I-IS this place just for us?" asked Naruto sounding seriously making Sakura think he was as disappointed as she was.

Tsunade thought the same and quickly said "Well, as I said if hadn't jumped the gun then you wouldn't be in such a place to begin with but…"

Tsunade's explanation died when Naruto turned with a nervous grin on his face and asked again "Really?! For us?!"

Tsunade by now was quite puzzled and she simply nodded making the boy turn to Sakura and excitedly say "Isn't this awesome Sakura-chan?! This whole place just for us!"

Sakura smiled awkwardly and looking around she couldn't help but wonder what Naruto saw in that place or if the last days' events finally took their toll on his sanity.

Naruto noticed Sakura's hesitance and calming down began "Well, it certainly looks messy but the place can be fixed in no time! The buildings are solid and only in need of a quick hand here and there! You just leave it to me! Believe it!"

"What?" asked a dumbfounded Sakura as Tsunade walked up and added "Indeed, repair materials will get brought over the weekend but due to the secrecy required in your case you'll be in charge of all the work here…consider it part of your punishment for breaking the rules and causing us all such a big headache"

Sakura looked dismayed but Naruto didn't look disheartened in the least and instead went ahead to open the doors of the housing building and get it to start exploring.

"Interesting fellow" was all that Tsunade managed to comment prompting Sakura to sigh and say "Well…I think I can understand why he is so excited"

Tsunade raised an eyebrow and nodded Sakura to continue.

"He is an orphan who lived on the outskirts of Konoha…He never had much but what little came his way made him quite excited and happy…we usually ridiculed him for that since he made such a big scene" said Sakura with guilt in her voice as Naruto started to drag out junk from the housing's inside while opening windows and doors.

Tsunade nodded her understanding and then reaching for her sleeve she produced two envelopes and handed them to Sakura while saying "Now that you are officially Daimyo and Samurai you are within the country's payroll. Note though that the amount being paid is quite small as most of your funds will be used to pay for the Dojo's refurbishing"

Sakura took the envelopes nodding her thanks but knowing how much of a fuss Naruto would make she decided to keep the money on her person. Naruto also had the bad habit of using up whatever money came his way to eat all the ramen he could.

With that servants brought Naruto and Sakura's belongings alongside wooden trunks for them to store them and a pair of futons to sleep in.

Sakura bowed before Tsunade thanking her attentions but before the older woman left for the night she turned to the girl and said "A word of advice Sakura…the road you are on can and will get really hard and very painful. You'll even come to regret your decision and you'll blame everyone…"

Sakura got apprehensive but Tsunade wasn't done and she continued "But I found that such burden is much lighter if you are willing to let others give you a hand. Being a Samurai is a great responsibility but is not one you have to carry alone, so trust your comrades and trust your Daimyo as they trust you"

"Sakura-chan! I found a room for you!" shouted Naruto from one of the house's windows while covered in dust making the girl lighten up and bowing again to Tsunade she skipped her way into the house…

Tsunade heard them as she departed and an old memory drew a smile on her face that vanished just as quickly as it came…

 **AN: Done!**

 **So, intrigued? Bored?**

 **Be sure to let me know on your reviews! As always I like to receive suggestions, criticism (constructive kind) and questions.**

 **Also know that in two weeks I'll be leaving for a European vacation of about two weeks, so next update may take a bit longer to come.**

 **Read, Enjoy and Review!**


	3. Holding Power

**Chapter 3: Holding Power**

"Where are they?!" thought Ino with growing impatience as she bit her thumb nail and leant on the gateway of the Academy.

"Waiting for us?" suddenly said Chouji munching from a bag with fried potato chips flavored with spices that was quickly becoming a hit among citizens of the Land of Fire.

Ino almost jumped but upon seeing Chouji and the tired looking Shikamaru she sighed and shaking her head said "Of course not!"

Chouji seemed a bit dejected but Shikamaru chimed "Then who?"

Ino blinked at that and smiling awkwardly she replied "Ah…S-Sasuke of course! Who else you idiots?!"

At that Chouji seemed to get upset and he simply walked away while Shikamaru also turned while saying "You should work on your lying Ino…"

Ino failed to realize Shikamaru's meaning and instead mumbled "Who the hell does he think he is?!"

"Who?" asked a male voice from behind her making the platinum blonde automatically reply "Shikamaru, who else? He is a smart ass with a mouth"

"That he is, but he is usually right about stuff" replied the male voice.

"Right?! Isn't that annoying?!" said Ino as her mind finally clicked in place and she jumped back upon noticing she had been talking to Naruto who laughed at her reaction prompting an irritated Sakura to slap him over his head.

"Oww, that hurts Sakura-chan!" jokingly complained Naruto as he smiled brightly at the scowling Sakura who placed her hands on her hip.

"It's disrespectful to intrude in other people's conversations no matter how silly they are, so don't do it" admonished Sakura to the young blonde boy who nodded his understanding quickly.

Ino saw the exchange and couldn't help but notice an odd familiarity that had never been so present between the two of them.

"Guys? Did something happen?" finally asked Ino wondering if something extraordinary happened in the days she didn't see them.

"What? No, why?" asked Sakura being done with Naruto,

Ino sighed while drawing an awkward smile but shaking her head she got closer and in a conspiring manner asked "So…what happened after our visit to you know where?!"

Sakura blinked and turning to see that no one was within earshot she sighed and replied "Well, they had us move over to a Dojo not too far from here though getting there is tricky, particularly our place to be honest"

Ino blinked and said "What?! You are living together now?!"

Sakura place a hand on her mouth and hurriedly said "What are you doing you pig?! You want to be beheaded?!"

Ino blushed at that and nodded making Sakura let go of her face. She then said "But living together…man, isn't that a bit too much?"

Sakura blushed in turn and replied "I think the same but apparently people like Naruto and I need to be in tune with one another to bring out our full potential. As such we don't only have to train in a Dojo but also need to live in one…quite pushy if you ask me, I mean I just became a Samurai a couple of days ago…"

Ino nodded but feeling mischievous she narrowed her eyes and with a cat like smile she asked "So…now that you guys live together, did you do it?"

Sakura didn't seem to catch on with Ino's intent and while nodding she said "Sure we did, we had very little time so we got down to it right away"

Ino's face became red like a tomato and said "Right away…?"

"Yeah; it was a mess at first but I have to give credit to Naruto, he is quite good at it" continued Sakura as she made to walk for the Academy as Naruto followed while Ino stood rooted in place.

"Good at it?..." breathed Ino making Naruto and Sakura turn around at the way she spoke.

"Yeah… he said he did it countless time back in Konoha" said Sakura quite calmly making Naruto puff up his chest a bit proudly.

At that Ino finally recovered herself and popping a vein she grabbed Naruto by his shirt and growled "Countless times?! Have you no shame you pervert?!"

"What?! What did I do?" asked Naruto panicking as he hesitated to on what to do or say.

"Ino! What the hell?" said Sakura putting an arm on her friend who dropped Naruto and clasping her arms said "And you! I don't believe you! Don't you have any modesty?! That itchy you were to try?! And you are fine with him being a hound?!"

"What?!" gasped Sakura as she went back on how the conversation went before.

Sakura's eyes then widened as she blushed fiercely and barked "What the hell?! You stupid perverted pig! We didn't do anything of that! How can that be the first thing that comes to your mind?!"

Ino didn't back down after being called her most hated insult and barked back "Then what the hell did you two guys did?!"

"We were cleaning and rebuilding the place you horny pig!" shouted Sakura making both girls blush over the volume used. That in turn made Naruto start giggling while doing his best not to burst in laughter.

That made both embarrassed girls turn to him and bonk him on the head with closed fists…

After the little ruckus was done, Sakura and Naruto explained to Ino that the place they were given was very run down and it fell to them to get the place back in working order.

Sakura commented that at first it had seemed a hard labor for which she wasn't fit but Naruto proved to be quite the handy man as he had the place cleaned quite quickly and then had gotten to rebuild the place with the materials brought by District workers.

Naruto explained that back in Konoha he worked in some constructions when lessons at the War Field was over for vacations. That's how he had gotten used to tools and his way around fixing a place up from zero.

He said the place was still wrecked in most parts and he would have to completely refurbish some parts of the Dojo before they could be used.

Once they reached the classroom the presence of Naruto and Sakura seemed to cause some murmuring to erupt but it quickly died as the lessons began under.

Done with the lessons the other boys from class eventually approached Naruto and it was Kiba who started by saying "So where were you moron?"

Naruto laughed nervously and scratching the back of his head replied "Well, I kind of snuck out of the dorms to explore a bit around. Man, the guards around are no pushovers! So they threw me in detention for a couple of days to reflect on my actions, or so they said"

Kiba smirked and finding something of a recognition of his guts he said "Just to explore huh? And I bet you were exploring around the girls' dorm!"

Naruto laughed a bit louder at that and that prompted most of the guys around to laugh as well but Shikamaru cut their fun short by saying "So, how come Sakura was also absent the same days as you then?"

Naruto froze at that and stuttered unable to find a convincing answer, thankfully though Shino intervened by saying "A midnight rendezvous?..."

"What?! No way! Didn't Sakura hate your guts and was all crazy about Sasuke?!" snapped Kiba obviously annoyed that Naruto was getting "ahead" of him on the path to manhood.

Naruto hesitated for a moment but seeing Kiba just gave him a venue to exploit he chuckled and adopting a "cool" pose he said "Well, what can I say? Guess I am more charming than you guys thought me to be"

Naruto expected the guys to burst out in laughter or perhaps, admiration, but instead he was met with silence.

"Guys?" asked Naruto as Chouji nodded him to turn around. But he was too late as he felt a set of soft, slender finger grasp his skull and put an incredible amount of pressure which was painful soon enough.

"Oh, is that so?" finally said a calm but threatening Sakura.

"S-Sakura-chan! You know I was just kidding right?!" said Naruto feeling how the pressure increased.

"You and I will have a nice long chat about making up stories about others" said Sakura with a "cute" smile and then simply proceeded to drag Naruto behind making the guys remember why women were the fighting part of the Daimyo/Samurai equation they aimed for.

"By the way! I was the one who caught him sneaking out but ended up in trouble because of him all the same!" barked Sakura back with a slight blush on her face.

At that the other boys laughed and agreed that it was the most likely truth. Nevertheless Shikamaru and the ever brooding Sasuke thought there was something fishy in all that…

 **After Lessons**

As per instructed by Tsunade before they came back to lessons, both Naruto and Sakura with Ino in tow, were taken to a secluded arena with tall walls around and no seats where Anko Mitarashi and Kakashi Hatake were waiting for them.

Anko looked the same as always and Ino noticed that she had sewn her cloak in a rather poor fashion demonstrating that such a skill was beyond her. Still she looked quite eager as she constantly giggled while turning to look at Kakashi who simply rolled his eyes at her.

Kakashi on his side also looked the same while trying to read his erotic novel despite Anko's interruptions. The only significant difference was the simple black hilted katana strapped over his back in a black lacquered scabbard.

Sakura brought her glaive and Naruto had no choice but to come unarmed as he was yet to replace his Spear.

"Finally! You guys made us wait forever!" said Anko still visibly excited and quite mischievous.

"Why are you unarmed Uzumaki?" simply asked Kakashi not sounding particularly upset.

Naruto looked down and replied "I lost my Spear and…I don't have another"

Kakashi didn't seem to mind and said "Next time go to the school's deposit; they have training weapons. Still you should try to get a weapon of your own, you are a Daimyo now"

Naruto nodded gritting his teeth making Ino feel a bit guilty as she had promised to buy him a new one and was yet to make good on her offer.

Seeing his reaction, Kakashi sighed and holstering his novel in a pocket he added "But don't mind much. For this lesson you weren't going to use your weapon that much"

This particular point drew the teens attention and it was Anko who, wanting the spot light, said "This lesson is for you guys to start using your abilities!"

"Our abilities?" asked Naruto quite puzzled as to what Anko meant while Sakura shuddered upon remembering the night she became a Samurai.

"Yeah, those. As Daimyo and Samurai you both now have abilities that will make you unstoppable on the battlefield" said Anko looking increasingly mischievous. For some reason.

"There are certain differences between what a Daimyo can do that differs from what a Samurai can and vice versa. We will teach you the ropes of both and then you can use your Dojo to figure the rest" complimented Anko while looking at her with a bit of annoyance.

At that both Naruto and Sakura nodded their understanding but Ino did raise her hand and asked "What am I doing here again? I mean, I am not a Samurai…"

"Lady Tsunade said that since you got a glimpse of what it entails to become a Samurai you might as well have a handicap over others and we always are in need of new Samurai. You are also here as support for these two" replied Anko with Kakashi's nod of approval.

"Support?" wondered Ino as Kakashi beckoned Naruto and Sakura to step forth.

"Alright, enter your Daimyo and Samurai states" commanded Kakashi making both Sakura and Naruto cock their heads at the same time making Anko snort in amusement.

"Told you perv!" chuckled Anko as she added "What he means is that you both should enter the state of Samurai and Daimyo, like activating your powers or whatever works for you"

Naruto and Sakura look at one another and as one asked "How do we do that again?"

"Well, there are two known methods; one, is to recall that night and remember how it felt to become Samurai and Daimyo for the very first time. You should have a tingling in your insides, so you just need to hold on to that feeling and we can work from there" said Anko with a smirk.

At that Sakura remembered how distraught she was over Naruto's apparent passing and as such it was hard to recall how it felt to be in that state beyond the blinding grief and rage.

Naruto on his side was nervous and looked rather embarrassed.

"Well?" asked Anko faking impatience which made Naruto and Sakura to fidget.

"I-I don't recall well what happened…" shyly said Sakura.

"I was out cold then…" mumbled Naruto while scratching the back of his head with shame.

At that Anko clapped and said "Heh heh…no worries my young pupils! We still have the second method to activate your powers and it's foolproof!"

That made Naruto and Sakura's faces to lit up and made Ino greatly interested for such a thing was quite convenient to be true. Kakashi though looked at Anko with annoyance though even him felt a bit amused.

"Alright kids, all you need to do is to smooch!" added Anko with a smirk.

"Huh?!" was all that Naruto and Sakura managed to gasp as their faces went crimson.

"Well, how do you guys became Samurai and Daimyo for the first time, huh? By sharing some lip action! If you guys are the real deal, then it will work like a charm!" said Anko with a light blush on her face and some intensity in her voice.

"B-But to kiss?! H-Here?! I-In front of everyone?!" countered Sakura stepping away from Naruto who seemed shyer than she ever recalled him.

"Aww! One might think that after all that drama you two would have been humping each other like rabbits in your Dojo!" said Anko laughing a bit.

At that proposition Naruto blushed harder and Sakura immediately said "How dare you! Who would do that with him?!..."

"But she does have a point Sakura, you did got into that state after the kiss…but you were too upset to process things rationally. I am sure once you get the hand of it once you won't need to kiss him every time you want to get into the Samurai mode" said Ino with a gentle blush but serious thinking eyes.

She smiled awkwardly as Sakura's eyes teared up a bit and looked at her with a gaze that screamed "TRAITOR!"

"K-Kakashi-sensei is that right?" asked Naruto with a blush of his own but sounding serious.

Kakashi looked at him and closing his eyes said "As the pervert here says"

Anko barked "Hey!"

But Kakashi continued "I am afraid that it is indeed a good method to enter the state you seek. As Ino accurately pointed, you seem to have been too upset to notice the change that undertook your body back then. Remembering that is a crucial point to enter the mode at a time of your choosing"

Sakura pouted at that as her face went beet red as she crossed her arms muttering curses at perverted older people pushing a lady to such extremes.

Knowing herself victorious, Anko clapped and said "Now, now, we don't have all day so if you please!"

At that Sakura turned to Naruto and the moment their eyes locked both couldn't help but avert their gaze from one another as they blushed even harder.

Growing tired at this, Ino huffed and going for Naruto grabbed his wrist and pulled him towards Sakura who attempted to escape but the blonde caught her wrist pulling her back with astounding force that only exasperation can give a lady.

Forcing their hands on one another's, Ino stepped back and barked "Now just get it done will you?!"

Nodding at the command Naruto and Sakura looked into each other's eyes and closing them shortened the distance between them ever so slowly until their noses brushed one another. So swallowing simultaneously, they angled their faces each felt just the briefest of sensations on their lips before a burning sensation exploded from within them.

Surprised by the change, both walked away slightly panicking over the flowing energy within them that was reaching every corner of their bodies granting them strength they didn't believe was even possible.

Naruto looked up to Sakura and saw her engulfed by a glowing dark red aura while beneath the glow there was a dark sheen of black covering her skin, clothes and Naginata.

On the other side, Sakura's eyes went wide not only due to the changes in and her person but because of the sight before her.

Naruto in turn seemed like a geyser of bright orange/red light that flowed in plumes that looked like slightly moving tails.

But just as quickly as the change came it began to fade and it was here that Anko barked "Hold on to it! Don't let it dissipate yet"

"What?!" breathed Sakura surprised that even her breathing came out so forcefully.

"Focus on the sensation and steady it, get a good taste from this experience and carve it your memory!" ordered Anko with no trace of her naughty mischievousness on her face and stern tone.

"Naruto, don't move and simply soak in the sensation. Feel the power running through you and if you feel it receding, focus again until you manage to make a constant flow within yourself" commanded Kakashi focusing on the male.

Ino in turn was petrified as seeing this was simply a defiance of everything she had experienced before through her five senses which at the time were also experiencing this event in full. The skin prickled with the charged air, her nose twitched as if the very air was being consumed by a fire. Her tongue could feel a new sensation that numbed it and her ears were full with the blowing wind those sources of energy were pushing forth.

Finally her eyes blinked constantly as she tried to focus on the light those energies were emitting as it was impossible to settle with one before it changed into a multitude of different hues.

Little by little the light coming from both stabilized on their output making the instructors nod somewhat satisfied.

"Good, now let's test you properly!" said Anko with a grin as she turned to a couple of wooden dummies clad in antiquated armor one no longer saw in combat.

"Pinky, deliver one of those nasty wave attacks on them" barked Anko sounding a bit expectant.

But Sakura didn't seem to know what she was talking about and instead simply hefted her Naginata and approached the dummy readying a blow making Anko's eyes go wide and barely gasp a "No wait!"

Sakura brought the blade down, but as it connected, instead of making a clean cut through the shoddy armor, the dummy along with its neighbor and the wooden stakes upon which they were impaled exploded leaving a scar on the ground and lifting a lot of debris into the air.

This prompted Ino to look for cover while one of the largest pieces flew straight at Naruto who seeing what Sakura was capable of, readied a punch but was too late to hear Kakashi shout a warning to not do it.

Naruto effectively punched the piece of wood and as expected it basically disintegrated upon contact in a cloud of fine splinters and saw dust.

At that both teens were so surprised by what happened that the light evaporated as their short lived destruction settled down.

"Kids really don't listen these days! Geez!" complained Anko clearing her clothes and hair of dust and wooden splinters.

"S-Sakura, are you alright?!" finally said Ino approaching Sakura from behind for no one would have come unscathed from such a thing happening so close to them.

But to her surprise Sakura was not only alright but was actually intact, not even dust or debris clung to her or her clothes. The girl was simply stunned over what she did and not few would and all she could mutter was "A-Amazing"

"Anko…you better get a medic here" said Kakashi kneeling next to Naruto who was shutting his eyes tightly while he grinded his teeth and held his right fist with his left hand with drops of blood falling to the ground continuously.

Anko saw this and barked a "Shit!" before sprinting towards the arena's exit.

"Naruto!" shouted Sakura as she and Ino ran to his side as Kakashi helped the boy get on a sitting position.

"Let me see" commanded Kakashi making Naruto reveal his right hand which was badly bruised and bleeding. And from the position of two of his fingers, with some fractures in it.

"What happened?! Why am I alright?" asked Sakura hesitant whether to touch Naruto's hand or not.

"We will get him fixed quickly enough…but this I guess is an important lesson for you two" commented Kakashi somewhat dispassionately.

"What do you mean?" asked Ino as Sakura focused on the pained Naruto.

"Well, why do you think only women become Samurai and only Daimyo are men?" lectured Kakashi making Ino's eyes go wide.

"Because, men can't do the same that women can?" asked Ino making Kakashi's eye brow twitch slightly.

Kakashi coughed under his mask and said "Daimyo do possess power of their own as you just saw, but lack one extra thing that Samurai do that in turn allows them to walk into the battlefield"

Ino thought on that and realized that despite being in the face of such a violent explosion Sakura walked away unharmed and then it hit her.

"Samurai have some sort of defense then?" asked Ino making Sakura turn her head to them wondering the same thing.

Kakashi nodded "Yes, it's called the Samurai's Mantle…"

"Samurai's Mantle?" wondered Ino making Kakashi sigh.

"Guess we should have started there…our bad I guess" said Kakashi making Ino and Sakura frown and bark "You think?!"

"I should have known that you two slackers wouldn't teach them properly!" suddenly barked Tsunade with Anko rubbing her head in tow.

"If I wasn't so busy I would have taken this training business myself" complained Tsunade walking past the stunned girls and quickly knelt beside the stricken boy who was still doing his best to resist the pain in his hand.

Tsunade observed the wound and sighing stretched her hand and said "Give me your hand…"

Naruto did as asked and quickly Tsunade took a hold of it and placed the fractured fingers in place earning her a quick yelp of pain that almost made Naruto's eyes to roll back completely. Still, she then trapped his hand between hers and breathing out they quickly began to glow a soft green.

Naruto gasped painfully again but just as quickly opened his eyes and looked at the buxom woman's glowing hands with awe and no little nervousness.

Before long Tsunade breathed out again and finally let go of Naruto's hand while saying "That's actually harder than fighting…"

Sakura then walked to Naruto and took his hand making the boy blush while she inspected it with great interest and wonder.

"W-What…was that?" asked Ino as she kept blinking watching Naruto's hand fully healed and without scars of bruises on it.

Tsunade stood up and directing a dirty glance in Kakashi's direction said "That is what Naruto and Sakura need to master if they want to become a true Samurai and Daimyo"

Looking back at the youth, Tsunade said "That would be Ki"

 **Later…**

Tsunade then moved the "class" from venue into an open kiosk in the middle of a garden where no other person walked by so they guessed it was one of those grounds the state controlled within the academy for certain Samurai related events.

There Tsunade placed both Anko and Kakashi on a corner holding a couple of heavy buckets with water and a sign "Bad Instructor"

The teens though that behavior somewhat childish from a princess, but then again one doesn't argue with a living legend that obliterated entire battlefields.

Clearing her throat and pushing out her chest Tsunade began "Well, as you know Samurai and Daimyo are warriors supreme and stand at the top of our society and that of the known world. It has been so since the lands were divided in warring clans and probably even before there were clans"

"As you know by now, Daimyo are always men and Samurai are always women. This is a fact that has remained unchanged for centuries and all attempts to reverse the role has yielded no positive results" continued Tsunade glad the teens before her hanged to her every word.

"But how exactly does a man and a woman become Daimyo and Samurai in the first place? Why just some select individuals under the most special circumstances?" questioned Tsunade quickly scanning the eyes before her.

Seeing that none had an answer for such an elementary question she continued "You see, in the world there is a thing called Ki, something of an elemental energy present everywhere"

"Ki?" wondered Sakura remembering that some monks in Konoha's Will of Fire temple often spoke of such things when consulted on buildings, exercise and meditation. She blushed a bit remembering she often thought that to be rubbish…

"Ki is found in all living beings, plants, fish, beast and humans alike and believe it or not, even in places such as mountains, lakes and rivers" explained Tsunade with a finger stretched.

"Now, if Ki is something found anywhere, it is bound to be more abundant in some places than others. In nature, forests are bound to have more Ki than deserts and among beasts, the larger it is the more it has" added Tsunade.

Sakura raised her hand and asked "What of humans? We aren't that significantly different from each other so what makes one capable of becoming Samurai and Daimyo in the first place?"

Tsunade smirked at the girl's quick understanding and answered "Well, just as a person is vastly different from another, the Ki within is bound to be just as different"

"But how do you know?" wondered Ino aloud.

Tsunade didn't actually liked that question being made but she guessed that they needed to know, so she said "When a child is born, parents are required by law to take the child as soon as is safe to do so, to the nearest registry office. There the child is properly registered for the state's record but also is submitted to a simple but effective test where the amount of Ki in them is measured. If the size is significant, then the parents are asked to eventually submit their child to the War Field nearest to them"

"Then as they grow, the kids are sorted out as their Ki is constantly tested until graduation for increased growth or stagnation" finished saying Tsunade.

"Can Ki then be stimulated to grow?" astutely asked Naruto making Tsunade bite her lip for a second.

Tsunade shut her eyes for a moment and then replied "Ki naturally grows in a person as it matures since its body grows with it. But as you say, the purpose of the War Field is to make it grow as much as it can in a controlled environment. Needless to say, most don't experience significant growth and that's why the cut leaves a lot of candidates out"

Sakura and Ino suspected there was more to it than she let out but had enough sense to know when a secret was being touched and as such decided not to press on the matter.

On his side Naruto puffed his chest and said "I always knew I was special!"

Sakura bonked him on the head while Ino raised her hand and asked "Then how does Ki play a role in the making of a Samurai and Daimyo?"

Tsunade liked her intuition and began "Human Ki you see is different from the one found in beasts or nature itself as we have found that it's affected in a significant manner by the human experience; namely it's emotions"

"With that in mind when a potential Daimyo and Samurai manages to be in complete emotional synchrony their wells of Ki flush open producing the miraculous existences they become" continued Tsunade.

"But was noticed early on that there was a significant difference between the two after their transformation. Where Samurai could deal and take on serious damage, Daimyo were only given the destructive force of a Samurai, perhaps even superior, but with no defense whatsoever to even regular damage dealt by weapons held by beings other than Samurai" continued explaining Tsunade as she walked to a chalkboard and quickly drew the doodles of a male and a female.

"Apparently, when the Ki wells of both open they do not only exacerbate the individuals "power" but in the case of the Samurai, she takes a part of the Daimyo's own Ki and with it, creates a protective barrier of sorts that extends all around her. This was called the Samurai's Mantle and why this exact phenomena happens in the first place is still a mystery that eludes us and so is why the same doesn't happen with the Daimyo" said Tsunade as she drew flows between one doodle and the other.

"So Daimyo's can't march into battle?..." asked Naruto somewhat dejected at the prospect of being relegated to the backlines.

Tsunade knew the question was bound to come so turning on Naruto she said "They certainly have the power to be a decisive force on the battlefield and in days past more than one risked his neck out there when a battle was going sour or just to prove their courage. But times have changed and bringing down a man from a distance have become scarily easy with the advent of ever more sophisticated fire guns with longer reach and accuracy. That's why Daimyos are closely guarded on the battlefield and why they are considered commanders whereas Samurai are considered soldiers in crude terms"

"But this has been the case for as far as both have existed so there is no shame in taking the rear guard, for a commander must still lead his forces and Samurai to victory. On his shoulders the fate of the battle is placed and there's where his glory and honor is found" said Tsunade with a softer tone that managed to bring a small smile on Naruto's lips.

Sakura observed Naruto in that moment and keenly aware of his vulnerability now, swallowed and asked "Rumor says…that if a Daimyo falls…so do their Samurai?"

At that Tsunade's eyes went cold for a moment and her lower lip trembled prompting her to bite it before collecting herself and say "Personally I wanted to avoid saying it so soon but you do have to hear it all the same, but since you are now Daimyo and Samurai, a stern warning is needed I guess"

"Daimyo for better or worse are the most critical component of the pair as the giver of the mantle. As such, he is capable of creating more Samurai under his command and why in the past it wasn't unheard of them having several under their direct command. The Second Shogun had several and so did the Third" began to explain Tsunade making the teens blush over the implications of such groupings.

"If a Samurai falls in battle she can, in theory, be replaced by another…but if a Daimyo falls something terrible happens to their Samurai…as they become Ronin and lose their power" finished saying Tsunade

That statement chilled them and made them understand at the same time just how critical was the Daimyo and how fragile their team potentially was.

"The shock of a Daimyo's passing is tremendous as the Samurai can actually feel it on a physical and mental level. That creates a deep trauma from which…they don't recover. They receive the title of Ronin and remain honored to a certain level for their past service but in the end they carry the shame of having failed their Daimyo and many prefer to just disappear from the public eye or worse" added Tsunade with a look of guilt etched on her expression which she hid from the kids as she composed herself.

This last bit of information made the three teens gulp in unison and become concerned for this was certainly a piece of information that finished shattering the romance of the Daimyo and Samurai world they grew up with.

This was a world far more dangerous than any dared to conceive and to think that the fate of an entire nation was laid on their shoulders suddenly become easier to understand but harder to desire.

Seeing the loss in their faces Tsunade tapped the floor to draw their attention and said "Don't look so dejected young ones. Yes, it is a harsh reality we exist in, but find solace in the fact that you are ready and we will make you even more ready to face your new duties. Also, know that through your efforts, your people get to live peacefully and become happy"

Bringing herself down Tsunade looked at them straight in the eye and smiling added "Don't worry so much though. The great wars are over the nation has enough Samurai and Daimyo to defend it, so take your time, gain strength for I know you have what it takes"

That seemed to reassure the teens and with her work done Tsunade turned to the sore Anko and Kakashi still holding their buckets of water and said "And you two, you better step up your game when teaching them or next time is running around the Palace with those buckets!"

Kakashi seemed to sigh annoyed while Anko nodded hurriedly with trembling arms that seemed were going to fail soon.

Having said that Tsunade departed the kiosk and finally the troubled teachers managed to drop their burdens and after a quick rest went to the teens.

"Look, sorry the first lesson went the way it did but in our defense, it's the first time we teach the ropes of being Samurai and Daimyo. So we'll make certain stuff like that doesn't happen again…or too often!" said Anko with a nervous grin and a slight blush.

The teens turned to Kakashi who bringing up his erotic novel said "What she said" and left the place at a slow pace making the kids frown at him and Anko look even more bothered over his lack of support.

Noticing this, Naruto approached her and said "Well, if it's your first time doing this, guess it can't be helped. I also screw up a lot in things I try for the first time so I guess I can forgive you"

Anko looked at the young man and laughing said "Boy aren't you a wonder?!"

She then took his head and buried it in her ample bosom while snickering "Keep that act up and you'll have a brigade of Samurai for yourself!"

At that Sakura was quick to drag Naruto back and immediately started to scold him though failing to give a proper reason making Ino giggle at how absurdly shy her friend could be despite having become a partner with Naruto.

 **At Sunset**

Returning to the common grounds of the academy, Naruto, Sakura and Ino were getting ready to head back to their respective abodes.

Before Ino could go though Sakura stopped her by her sleeve and said "Look Ino…I just wanted to say that I…we are very grateful you are there with us in these trainings. Now I see why they wanted us to wait until we were ready"

Naruto looking a bit squeamish added "Yeah…having you around really makes it easier. You help us understand some things easier and having another friendly face around makes it easier"

At that Ino blushed and fidgeting replied "W-Well, you are welcome of course! I-It is good that Lady Tsunade asked that I come by as you two can be quite helpless, besides, being there gives me an edge to become Samurai very soon! Then you can hope to learn a thing or two!"

Sakura seemed ticked by her comment and briskly walked away but Naruto stayed with a gentle smile and approaching Ino said "Thanks also for being there for Sakura-chan! I don't think she wanted to be my Samurai and heavens only know why she became mine, but having you there makes it easier for her. I promise to show my gratitude someday, believe it!"

Ino nodded as Naruto ran to catch up with Sakura to head back home.

The platinum girl smiled and said "Silly dummies…"

 **AN: Done!**

 **So that's another one! How are you liking it?**

 **Now that we have some of the workings of how Samurai and Daimyo work on my take of things we will pass on to more story proper issues and the harem build up.**

 **I like the settling of my world so expect to see more industrial revolution vistas come and go throughout the story. So if there is something in particular from this period of time you are interested, be sure to tell me and I'll see if I can fit it in.**

 **I'll try to update faster so remain tuned.**

 **Read, Enjoy and Review!**


	4. Arm up!

**Chapter 4: Arm up!**

With the rising sun barely casting an orange glow over the grass the chirping of morning birds was suddenly cut by the whistling of an arrow quickly flying and shortly after a dry thump as it struck its target.

At this sudden interruption the birds took flight and for a moment the glow of the sun was interrupted with many moving shadows and the air filled with loud flapping.

At their passing, silence came down over the grass and within moments another arrow flew and struck its target again.

At the far end of the grass field stood a female figure standing straight with her legs slightly parted with her baby blue full eyes focused straight ahead and unmoving. The girl of platinum hair held an elegant artisanal bow which hung loosely from her left hand fingers.

A soft gust of wind passed by barely moving her purple and gold garments and when it ended, the girl in a fluid movement drew an arrow from the quiver at her waist and lifting her arms she twirled it on her finger and knocked it in place while drawing air through her barely parted lips.

Then in the same motion she brought down her arms spreading them making the bow tense while exhaling emptying her lungs of air making her whole body grow steady.

Once the bow was tensed to its maximum, the girl saw her target at the maximum range and simply let go of the bow string making the arrow fly true and strike right in the middle of the target.

The girl saw the three targets at different ranges and inhaling finally relaxed her posture and let out a long sigh as she unslung her quiver and went back to the bench on the back where a gourd with fresh water awaited next to a cloth and a water vase.

Clearing the sweat from her face, the girl sat down and taking a sip from the gourd she sat and sighing again said "This is kind of boring…"

She observed the three targets with arrows neatly piercing the center of them and though this brought some pride to her chest the events of the last days showed her how far below she stood compared to the world's greatest warriors; the Samurai.

At the thought of the Samurai she knew, her visible eye narrowed and the eyebrow on it trembled in annoyance.

"I just can't believe she became a Samurai just like that! I mean, I knew she had a secret soft spot for Naruto, but to that extreme?!" thought Ino Yamanaka she crumpled her side skirt in a fit of anger.

Sighing and straightening her skirt, Ino thought "But what's done is done I guess. So I should focus on becoming a Samurai myself and showing up to Forehead!"

Picking her things, Ino left the archery range just in time as other senior Ashigaru arrived for the practice reminding her that she was the only archer of her year and since coming from the Yamanaka clan, she was poised to become a great one like her Grand Aunt Inara for whom her Clan ascended to prominence in the first place.

Ino always thought she had it in her to become a graceful Samurai like her grand aunt and since her lower born friend Sakura managed to become one, her confidence grew even more.

Nevertheless since she grew acquainted with what entailed actually becoming a Samurai and what was expected from her in service to the Land of Fire, she grew somewhat uncertain and wondered how to ascend to such a status.

"I need a Daimyo but…with who do I actually have that kind of bond?" wondered Ino as she observed thin plumes of black smoke rising from the city indicating that even though it was a free day, many industries working at its heart never really stopped feeding it's development.

"Sasuke would be the best choice of course. The Uchiha are famous for the many heroes they have produced both as Daimyo and Samurai. And Sasuke is a direct descendant from the line of the infamous Madara of the 108 brides" thought Ino with a smile thinking of how much prestige she would earn by joining such a famous clan.

But that smile quickly faded when she thought "But then again, even though I have tried to the point of embarrassment, Sasuke and I are hardly more than acquaintances and not even friendly ones. I very much doubt he and I could make the connection Naruto and Sakura managed to"

"But who else is there?" thought Ino as she turned a corner and saw the many banners of the Clans serving the Land of Fire displayed next to the grand flag of the country.

Amidst them she saw a dark green banner with a black deer's head silhouette sewn on it and next to it stood red and grey banner with an ancient word that meant fortitude. Next to them also stood the banner of her own Clan which was purple with a golden flower in the middle.

"Guess I have a deeper bond with Shikamaru and Chouji…but I don't think it's the kind of bond that actually creates Samurai and Daimyo" thought Ino closing her eyes and remembering the many days she spent with those two.

The days she would yell at Shikamaru to go out to play during the hot summer days…or any other day of any season.

And of her yelling at Chouji for never lending an ear to her and stuffing his face with tons of food despite her best advice to have him be a dashing young man…

Feeling annoyed at both of them Ino stomped the ground and snarled "Definitely not those two!"

Forgeting herself she turned up to the banners meaning to make a rude gesture at them she noticed other known banners.

One was grey with a black paw mark on it and next to it was a light green one with a yellow Dragonfly on it.

"The Inuzuka and Aburame clans…Kiba and Shino huh?" thought the girl tussling her hair.

But quickly shaking her head she crossed her arms and said "No way!" while remembering Kiba's less than healthy habits regarding his outings with his war dog Akamaru. And of Shino's obsession regarding bugs…which he allowed to crawl beneath his clothes at times!

Overcoming her sudden disgust she sighed once more and continued walking towards the dorms which she wasn't that excited to return to since her best friend and rival no longer made her living there.

Remembering that Sakura had told her where they lived Ino thought "Well, today is a free day so maybe I'll pay them a visit!"

Inevitably thinking on Naruto as well, Ino remembered his words of thanks regarding her support and drawing a tiny smile she thought "I also remember that I do owe him a spear…"

At that Ino was quick to the dorms to leave her arms and freshening up, made way towards Naruto and Sakura's dojo…

 **Later that Day**

"Man were those guards stingy! Asking for this document and for that paper…Good thing Princess Tsunade cleared me to visit them from time to time…." Thought an annoyed Ino as she walked through the beautiful but ultimately empty streets of the Dojo district.

Ino observed the tall thick walls and the tiled roofing around her and couldn't help about how many Daimyo and Samurai were currently living and training on a daily basis to hone the skill that made the Land of Fire the first among the great nations of the world.

She blushed when she thought of the falling nights and the activities that entailed, but grimaced when the picture was filled by Naruto and Sakura since they were the only Daimyo and Samurai she knew.

"That's right! Anko-sensei is a Samurai as well…though I don't think Kakashi-sensei is her Daimyo. They don't seem to click that well so maybe he has other Samurai elsewhere…"suddenly mulled Ino as she turned a corner and was left speechless for what she saw.

"This has to be wrong…" though Ino as she stared at a dense patch of bamboo trees and thick bushes that hid anything that was behind it.

The girl observed the rather unkempt property and managed to see the top of a red tiled roof with several missing tiles on it.

Continuing her observation she then noticed a narrow path through the small jungle and a small wooden plaque with a scribbling that read "Naruto and Sakura's Dojo!" and was pointed by couple of doodles that seemed to resemble the couple's faces.

"Seems like they drew the short straw on housing arrangements" thought Ino with a smirk as she walked to the small path and there she noticed that the vegetation had been cut aside in long swings and knew Sakura had used her Naginata in such an inglorious manner.

Having to brush a couple of branches away, Ino finally made it to the entrance whose doors were in obvious need of repair as one of them it had been unhinged forcefully and was currently being propped against the frame leaving a small open space to access the property.

Seeing no bell to announce her arrival, Ino simply slipped inside and there she noticed the Dojo in full for the first time.

The Dojo's yards had patches of overgrown grass while on others it had been stomped flat by numerous wooden planks and construction materials which were apparently being used to repair the old building.

The Dojo itself featured a large housing complex with three floors and a large rectangular adjacent building Ino guessed was the actual training area. Both buildings were in need of having several cracks repaired, walls to be painted anew and a lot of tiles to replace.

In front of the training building, the yard was spacious enough and Ino noticed that it could make for a good small sized shooting range if only for form practice.

Ino continued observing the buildings and noticed that the sliding doors looked new and well covered with new velum as she guessed was a smart move to avoid wind drafts entering at night.

Walking to the front of the housing building she noticed an empty pond lined with rocks and a stone road directed at the main entrance.

"Did they left somewhere?" wondered Ino as the main door slid open and from it emerged Naruto making the girl begin to smile and then freeze completely for the boy's visage was quite shocking.

Naruto was walking out of the house carrying a sack with debris from whatever work he was doing in the house and completely naked except for a white fundoshi (A kind of loincloth) that barely covered him below.

Ino then observed that Naruto's body was tanned and with lean but firm muscles on it from well-developed pecs to strong looking legs.

Still the girl couldn't help but focus on the loincloth slightly swaying with the morning breeze…

Naruto blinked surprised and realizing how Ino was appreciating him, couldn't help but blush and turn his head modestly.

At that Ino covered her eyes and turned away letting out a quite girlish scream prompting from within the house a loud "Naruto!"

 **Moments Later**

Sitting at a table outside on the yard Ino sat with a blushing face looking down while Naruto looked away sporting a red mark on his left cheek while Sakura heated some tea on a brazier next to it.

"Seriously Naruto, it's bad enough you walk around the Dojo wearing that thing but to show yourself to Ino like that?!" complained Sakura as she served the tea on cups and placed them in front of her guest and partner.

"It's not like I was expecting her to come by and visit. Had she told us, and I would have been using some pants…" said Naruto taking a sip from the tea.

"Y-Yeah…I should have told you guys I was coming first…A-Also, I have seen my dad and others of the clan with few clothes on so no problem…though why do you walk around like that? Did you took a bath?" asked Ino unable to look at Naruto at that moment as she grimaced with the rather bland taste of the tea Sakura brewed.

Naruto laughed nervously and replied "Well, the thing is that I am doing all the repair work around here and that can leave my clothes dirty and sweated…so I do most of the work like this to avoid that"

Ino made to reply with the obvious question of why not simply change clothes, but a look of Sakura warned her against making the question. The girl knew her friend was sparing Naruto from saying something embarrassing and so knew she would get the answer later.

"So, what are you doing here Did Princess Tsunade sent you for something?" asked Sakura making Naruto relax and almost instantly be back to a good spirit.

Ino blinked and blushing slightly said "What? No! I just came by to see how you guys were doing, check your place out and…well, ask you guys if you wanted to hang out! I remember that I owe Naruto a new Spear and I wanted to take the chance to tour other parts of Keishi"

Sakura seemed surprised by Ino's rather generous suggestion while Naruto quickly placed his tea down and getting in front of his fellow blonde with sparkling eyes he said "Really?! A new Spear?!"

Ino drew back a bit surprised by Naruto's overfamiliar reaction and a bit embarrassed looked down, but as her eyes descended, she peered into his slightly open shirt and once more noticed his lean muscles and pecs which in turn triggered the memory of the near naked boy.

Blushing, Ino turned her head away in modesty and simply said "I-It's not a big deal…I broke it and the honorable thing to do is repay you for it. It's the least someone wanting to become a Samurai can do…"

Naruto nodded and leaning back said "Thanks a lot Ino! I am sure you'll make a splendid Samurai someday!"

That made Ino smile and shyly hide her face while Naruto turned to Sakura with a beaming smile.

The pinkette though didn't seemed very amused over seeing Ino's reactions to Naruto's care free, and shameless, behavior. But seeing his earnest smile, she couldn't help but smile in defeat and simply credit it to Naruto's rather unique charm…

 **An Hour Later**

Having finished a rather forgettable tea, the trio left the Dojo and having asked the local guards about where they could get a suitable weapon, they all departed in direction to the Metal Studies Ward which was adjacent to several of the cities large heavy industries and newly founded metal mills which were at the forefront of the country's rapid development.

Sakura had been allowed to carry her Naginata though the weapon needed to be sheathed at all times in it's leather scabbard thus becoming a very large and still deadly staff.

Ino having left behind her Bow and Quiver simply took her trusty curved dagger while Naruto simply said his fists and anything at hand would suffice for him.

With that the three took the smaller Train to the ward where several workshops displayed their creations. They had been informed that metallurgists worked next to the great industries trying to develop new techniques and alloys hoping to land contracts and admissions to work for them.

As a means to keep their practice, many worked as blacksmiths selling examples of their ideas in the shape of weapons, armor, tools and numerous other trinkets. Their customers were mostly wealthy merchants and entrepreneurs that wanted to either convey gifts to their customers or display weapons at their homes and claim they had warriors' blood in their veins.

As they rode the train and Naruto looked excitedly through the window, Ino approached Sakura and finally asked "So, will tell me now why Naruto walks around almost naked and you haven't killed him yet?"

Blushing a bit over the memory, Sakura said "Well, the thing is that he does that out necessity. We knew he was poor back in Konoha, but never realized exactly how much he really was"

"He couldn't afford to buy new clothes or damaging the few ones he had. So to keep his clothes clean and in good condition, he stripped down to work. Most working men just removed their pants to work with a shirt on, but Naruto went fully undressed" explained Sakura with no little shame in her voice.

"Oh…but don't you guys now win money as being you know what?" said Ino also feeling quite shamed as she remembered how she once called out Naruto for always wearing the same clothes all the time.

Sakura sighed and replied "Well, yeah though our special condition doesn't net us much and whatever is available mostly goes to the construction materials and our food…Not to mention that he is already used to work like that"

Ino giggled at the mental picture of Naruto stripping down and Sakura trying to put some pants on him with a red face.

"Wow, I never imagined Naruto to be this hard working. I recall him dozing off between lessons and playing pranks around town" said Ino as she observed Naruto's back intently.

"Well, he had to work to eat…He is an orphan and lived in a shack out of town next to the forest and the main road. We played and relaxed while he had to procure for himself as he chased after a better life trying to become a Daimyo…" said Sakura with a soft glance at Naruto that didn't escape Ino's attention who in turn blinked at the rather rare sight.

Leaning back on her seat, Ino sighed and then said "Then he must be happy that he got what he worked so hard for after all!"

Sakura nodded and replied "Yeah…he is happy. Never seen him grinning like an idiot so much"

Ino smirked and added "Must be because he also got you in the end!"

Sakura blushed and simply hanged her head making Ino surprised she didn't flew into her usual fit of anger and denial.

Soon after the train stopped and after ringing a bell, the passengers noted that they had arrived at the Metal Studies Ward which was bustling with all kinds of folk walking around in a chaotic manner that managed to rule itself somehow.

The trio left the small train station and somewhat intimidated by the large crowd, closed the distance with one another while putting their purses in safer areas. Though few would dare trying to pilfer something from armed individuals.

Before long after starting walking the small group finally found the shopping area of the ward and there noted many stores selling all kinds of weapons that gleamed as if fresh from the forge and polished right after.

In front of the stores, many men of all trades observed the weapons and while holding them talked to one another while taking a few clumsy swings which were highly praised by the blacksmiths encouraging to buy them as heirlooms.

"They may be a bit shameless but they do work some nice steel here" said Sakura observing the several kinds of blades and other instruments on display.

Eventually they found a large store with numerous kinds of weapons on neatly display and Sakura judged they were battle worthy given their lack of decorations and quality materials on them.

"So, a Spear? Or something new?" asked Ino eyeing a set of arrows with gleaming recently polished heads.

Naruto nodded affirmatively and alongside Sakura went to where different kinds of Spears were displayed. Some seemed strong enough to halt a horse with its rider right on its tracks while others looked nimbler and fit for foot soldiers.

"Greetings stemmed customers! I see you are looking for a Spear, and as you can see we have an ample variety for the many kinds of specializations!" suddenly said a clerk dressed as if he worked as a blacksmith though one could judge that the man hadn't stepped anywhere near a forge or held a hammer in his hands.

"That would be me sir, I need a Spear!" said Naruto politely and with some enthusiasm.

The clerk turned to Naruto and before saying a word noticed his humble clothing and how worn it was. But another look at his better dressed companions made the clerk smile on nevertheless.

"Of course! We have all kinds of Spears, feel free to pick one and heft it. No better way to make your pick!" said the clerk stepping aside for Naruto to look at the Spears.

It didn't take long for Naruto to decide on a kind of Spear with a long blade that was mostly used by specialized foot soldiers that could either pierce or cut sideways to open throats or make cuts on arms and legs.

"Great choice sir, that one would be $1,500.00 Ryo please!" said the clerk rubbing his hands more accurately addressing the girls who looked even more shocked at the price than Naruto himself.

"T-That's too expensive! Armories on Konoha sold Spears like this for less than half!" finally said an enraged Sakura placing a hand on her purse thinking she was being mugged.

"Y-Yeah, who can even think of buying a Spear for this?! How much do you charge for swords then?!" asked a similarly outraged Ino with a scowl on her face.

The clerk was a bit surprised but understanding that the kids in front of him didn't have the money to pay for the goods, quickly took the Spear from Naruto's hand and producing a cloth wiped it while saying "Well, if you take a look at the counter you'll see who can afford this quality goods"

The trio then turned to the register and there saw several customers paying for their goods with thick stacks of cash making them understand the difference between a small city and a big one.

"Say, you don't have special discounts for Ashigaru from the Academy?" asked Ino trying her luck.

"Of course not! Ashigaru or not, these are the best prices for the greatest guaranteed quality in all of Keishi! A true warrior would not seek bargains on it's arms in any case!" said the clerk surprising the teens who grudgingly agreed that a warrior would not take cheap weapons.

At that the clerk took a better look of Sakura's sheathed Naginata and knowing rare item when he saw one said "But I guess I could give you a discount if you traded that beautiful Naginata of yours! It seems made of top quality materials!"

At that Sakura gripped her weapon tightly and was about to reply that there was no way she could trade a family heirloom, but then again she still owed Naruto a Spear and honor demanded satisfaction.

But right before she uttered a word, Naruto said "No deal man! Let's go girls!"

With that Naruto took both girls from their arms and pulled them from the store leaving a slightly irritated clerk behind who was quick to jump to the next wealthy looking customer he saw.

Once outside Naruto angrily said "Such a rotten bastard! To ask for Sakura's treasure in exchange for a cheap ass Spear! I was this close to knock his teeth off!"

Not hearing a reply he turned to see at both girls who seemed surprised and with a slight blush on them. This made him curious and looking down he finally noticed his grip had shifted from their arms down to their hands.

"Woah! I-I am so sorry girls!" said Naruto putting some distance between them while pleading.

Sakura blushed a bit but looking aside she said "I-It's no problem! I also wanted to leave"

Ino saw her hand a little longer but clenching a fist turned with a smile at Naruto and Sakura while saying "Never mind that! Still we ought to look for that Spear. I bet there is better prices elsewhere"

That made Naruto calm down and grinning led the way down the street while Ino followed and Sakura observed her friend for a short moment before walking as well.

 **Two Hours Later**

"What the hell is wrong with this city?! Why everything is so expensive?!" complained Sakura as she ate some sweets with a tea on a bench next to a cart that sold them.

Ino nodded and said "True, one would expect that Ashigaru would have some benefits as they try to become Samurai and Daimyo! But no, they assume they are all wealthy and with deep pockets! Our families also pay taxes you know?!"

Naruto chuckled and a bit embarrassed said "Hey girls, if it's too tall and order, I can always use one of the practice Spears at the Academy and save my money a little bit at a time"

That made Sakura's eyebrow to twitch in annoyance and made the girl say "No way! I am not leaving this place without a Spear! What kind of Samurai fails her Daimyo in such a small task?!"

That made Naruto blush and Sakura soon mimicked him realizing her words making Ino sigh a bit annoyed and say "But seriously, we have gone up and down the entire ward and prices are ridiculously high. I doubt we will find anything good around and we need to go back to the Academy before long"

At that the three sighed, but just as they got ready to continue their search, the owner of the tea cart said "Excuse me young ones, I couldn't help but overhear a bit of your conversation"

For a moment Naruto and Sakura were scared that the woman found out that they were Samurai and Daimyo, but the woman said "There is a struggling store that have really low prices compared to these greedy folk and their goods seem to be well made. Maybe you can find something more affordable there?"

At that the trio immediately asked how to reach the mentioned store and before long they were all on their way to the place the Tea lady directed them to.

The place was in one of the farthest corners of the Ward where visitors were scarce and people seemed to live in rather deplorable conditions. But they guessed the place was affordable and there was jobs nearby on the shopping area of the ward.

People there directed them curious glances but at the sight of Ashigaru from the Academy most turned away their gaze though some proudly displayed White bands on their arms. Sakura and Ino remembered the incident at the Train Station upon their arrival and to these folk they kept a close eye just in case.

Eventually they arrived at a brick house with a chimney that was belching black smoke up into the air. The house had a blackened sign that read "The Soft Hammer"

"Not a very encouraging name…" thought Ino as Naruto stepped forth and knocked on the door.

Before long the group heard the sound of hammer striking steel and realized that whoever was inside was incapable of listening to them knocking on the door so risking it, they opened the door and let themselves in.

The store was surprisingly clean and the racks sported mostly tools and other metal made trinkets that seemed more for everyday use than anything else. It was also notable that the prices were cheap and quite affordable though Sakura mentioned that the steel though well worked was of inferior quality.

Looking around the group failed to find any weapons around in the store and wondered if there was anyone around to ask about if the store had any to begin with.

So once more risking it, the group went to the back of the store from where the hammering kept coming and heat began to mount.

Getting behind the counter, the group opened a door and entered into a small forge where a person was bringing down a hammer on red hot metal over an anvil. Next to the person a furnace spewed sparks and almost unbearable heat.

The person was of short height and clad with a thick leather apron, thick leather gloves and a leather mask with glass lenses that protected the blacksmith's eyes from the occasional flying spark from the metal in front of it.

Looking around they saw several spear tips, blades of varying lengths and plates for armor stashed around on shelves or barrels.

Sakura was quick to notice that the craftsmanship was quite good and soon caught sight of the kind of Spear Naruto was looking for. But seeing that the blacksmith was oblivious to their presence she coughed to draw the attention.

Seeing that Sakura didn't have luck, Ino said "Excuse me sir…" but like her friend didn't prevail.

Naruto got a bit annoyed at this and approaching the blacksmith began to say "Hey! Listen…"

But as he took a step close to the anvil the blacksmith drew the red hot metal to Naruto's face while holding the hammer up high on its other hand.

Sakura began to bring her Naginata forth while Ino slipped her dagger before the blacksmith spoke "Who are you and why are you interrupting me?!"

The voice sounded surprisingly young and somewhat sweet but seeing the still burning iron in front of him, Naruto was quick to raise his hands and say "Listen man, we just came to buy something and no one was up front!"

At that the blacksmith's head cocked to a side and it said "Oh…Customers!"

With that it put the hammer in a bucket next to the anvil and the blade back into the fire to keep it hot, before turning and lifting it's mask revealed a soot covered but smiling face.

At first it looked like a young boy but better inspecting the body of the blacksmith, they noticed the distinctive curves of a woman.

"Y-You are a girl?!" asked Naruto making the blacksmith frown and take on an annoyed face that spell trouble for anyone who asked such a thing.

"Yeah, so? Think a girl can't be a blacksmith?!" spat the blacksmith making Naruto look sideways nervously knowing he stepped on a trap.

"O-Of course not! It's just rare seeing a pretty girl taking on such a trade!" quickly said Naruto managing to offend his companions.

At that the blacksmith seemed surprise and laughing nervously the girl was quick to clean some soot from her face before saying "He he, right huh?"

That made Sakura and Ino think lesser of her if she was so easily swayed…

Relaxing a bit, the blacksmith then said "Alright, so what can I help you guys with? Anything interests you?"

Sakura cleared her throat and said "Yeah we are Ashigaru from the Academy and we are looking for a Spear. It is for Naruto here"

At that the girl's eyes lit up with excitement and she quickly moved to where her weapons were stashed and bringing a couple of barrels with different Spears, she said "Finally someone is interested in my weapons! Make your pick guys, anything in these buckets is guaranteed!"

Naruto nodded and turning to the buckets quickly found the kind of Spear he would prefer though he was a bit disappointed over the haft on which it was placed for it felt as dry wood that could split on any second.

The blacksmith girl saw Naruto's hesitation and quickly said "Worry not about the haft, I would never sell such a weapon without a proper one. That's just for demonstration"

"You have quality wood around?" wondered Ino seeing the shabby state of the girl's shop.

Cocking her head to a side the girl said "Wood? No real quality wood around"

"Then what do you use for the haft?" asked Sakura wondering what new thing could the Land of Fire could have come up with.

"Metal of course!" said the girl turning her back to them, but in doing so made Naruto and the girls blush harshly.

For behind the thick leather apron the girl was wearing nothing but a red fundoshi and a pair of rough leather boots. The girl itself sported fine curves and a lean but visible muscularity.

Naruto couldn't help but imagine Sakura in such a garment back at home and decided that such a fantasy was one he could get behind. Still his eyes lingered a bit too much and soon enough he felt a familiar killing aure behind him.

"Where are you looking at Naruto?" calmly asked Sakura placing a firm grip on Naruto's shoulder which in moments turned into a painful vice.

"Miss…your attire!" squeaked Ino blushing quite a bit prompting the blacksmith turn and upon seeing their faces she guessed what happened.

Blushing at being seen like that by a boy her age, the girl bowed and said "I am very sorry…please wait at the front while I change into something more decent"

 **Minutes Later**

Having being nagged a plenty by Sakura and somewhat by Ino, Naruto looked a bit grumpy though still content they managed to find a suitable Spear and what they expected would be a good price as well.

Coming from the back now dressed in a white china style shirt, red baggy pants and sandals, the blacksmith girl smiled and bowing said "The name is Ten-Ten and I am the owner of the Soft Hammer shop of metal instruments and weapons. I am also part of the country's academy in the metallurgic studies division"

The girl was somewhat tomboyish but still quite pretty with big round brown eyes, a clear skin and her dark brown hair tied up in two buns from which twin braids went behind her head and joined into a thicker longer one.

Naruto couldn't help but blush at the memory of her quite exposed backside while Sakura forced him to bow along Ino and said "Nice to meet you. We are freshman Ashigaru at the Academy"

"This here is Naruto Uzumaki, her strict companion is Sakura Haruno and I am Ino Yamanaka" complimented Ino finding the girl somewhat familiar now that she got a good look at her.

Ten-Ten blinked and asked "Yamanaka? Then you hail from Konoha right?"

Ino seemed surprised and nodded making the blacksmith girl clap excitedly before saying "Spirit of Fire be praised! This is truly a lucky day then! Customers and one from a famed Samurai family!"

Ino blushed and adopting somewhat smug expression huffed and said "Well, I have come of age so it's natural I am here right?"

Annoyed by her friend's moment of vanity, Sakura coughed and said "The Spear?"

"Oh right! Sorry about that! Days like this are rare for me" said Ten-Ten scratching the back of her head.

"You mentioned that the haft of my Spear would be made of metal but won't that make it too heavy and unwieldy?" asked Naruto making the blacksmith girl smirk and laugh shortly.

"Certainly, but through my studies and constant tinkering I have come up with an alloy that is both sturdy but lighter than average steel" said the girl in a smart tone.

With that the girl brought forth a long haft of metal, too long in fact for a Spear and handed it over to Sakura who was surprised at how light it was for its size and thickness. Sakura then observed and saw that in truth it hollow like a pipe, but still it should have been several times heavier than it was.

Sakura handed it over to Naruto and the boy was just as surprised.

As in queue, Ten-Ten said "The hollow nature of the haft is certainly in order to make it lighter, but the key is my own special alloy of regular steel and aluminum which is quite light by itself"

At that the trio of Ashigaru returned their attention to the gleaming piece of metal and noticed that it had been a smart move from the metallurgist to create such an alloy for pure steel would make the haft unbreakable but impossible for a teenager to wield as a Spear demanded.

"But isn't aluminum a soft metal? Won't it break or bend?" asked Sakura still quite impressed.

Ten-Ten folded crossed her arms and nodding replied "It certainly is weaker than pure steel, but it is several times stronger than wood or iron itself. Which for a haft will more than suffice as it won't yield to axes or swords. You can't ask for a finer haft for a great Spear!"

Naruto and Sakura were quite excited but before they grew more enthusiastic Ino asked "So how much for this surprisingly impressive weapon?"

Ten-Ten blinked and rubbing her hands said "That would be $2,000 Ryo please"

That made the trio blink and in unison scream "$2,000 Ryo?!"

Ten-Ten seemed unfazed and replied "Yup, so if you pay I can proceed to cut the haft to Naruto's size and place the Spear tip free of charge of course!"

"But that's way more expensive than in other stores?!" accused Naruto.

"They told us you were cheaper than them!" demanded Sakura feeling badly cheated.

Ino though remained silent and Ten-Ten explained "Well, yeah, my other metal instruments are certainly cheaper than anywhere else but my weapons as you can see are made of top notch materials and I think worth every last Ryo"

Not finding an argument to counter the blacksmith, Naruto and Sakura sighed in defeat at the same time while Ino stepped forth and said "I am not convinced"

"Excuse me?" asked Ten-Ten getting a bit ticked off.

Ino adopted a smug look and replied "Well, it all sure seems very impressive but you talk of this new alloy as if it was the world's new wonder. But how can we be certain that it will deliver?"

"I guarantee it…" replied Ten-Ten crossing her arms and quickly losing her friendly demeanor.

"So you say…but if it was such an impressive item then why are you running such a humble establishment? Can't help but think you are all talk and no show" said Ino flicking the alloy metal haft producing nice bell like sound from it.

Naruto and Sakura looked at one another and seemed to share in the thought that Ino was being a bit unfair and somewhat mean.

Getting angry by now Ten-Ten retorted and said "I guarantee all my work and the reason why I am in such condition is because of the belief that girls can't be good blacksmiths or metallurgists…"

Ino nodded and replied "Fine, then you won't mind showing us how good your work is right?"

Ten-Ten replied "How?"

"Well, the Spear is meant for combat and that of a possible Daimyo at that; so it must be up to the task of such a character. As such, trying it in combat should show us how good it is" said Ino walking back to where Sakura's Naginata was standing next to a wall.

Ten-Ten observed the sheathed weapon but her expert eye could tell that it was a well-tended weapon with a hard wood haft and from the size of the covered blade guessed it was an all-around weapon aimed to fight cavalry and heavy infantry.

Smirking Ten-Ten said "Fine! I'll test my creation against her!"

Ino smiled cat-like and said "Good, if you lose then you give us the Spear for half the price"

"And when you lose, you'll buy the Spear full price and…advertise my shop at the Academy for a month wearing just a leather apron and a fundoshi!" replied Ten-Ten with a grin.

Ino blinked in surprise but giving a look to her surprised companions, steeled herself and briskly said "Deal!"

"Ino are you mad?! That thing does look impressive" said Sakura angry and concerned at the same time for her friend's outraging proposal.

"But can you win?" asked Ino seriously.

Sakura took a look at Ten-Ten who had gone back to the forge in search of a weapon made with the alloy and then replied "I think so, if she isn't an Ashigaru then yeah, I can win regardless of what she uses"

"Then there is nothing to worry!" replied Ino before she turned only to be faced with a concerned Naruto thus making her blush over being close to the young Daimyo.

"There really is no need Ino…besides is not like you to say such things…" said Naruto as bit confused.

Ino turned away saying "As a customer I am entitled to demand quality in what I buy…"

"Besides, this is for you big dummy…" thought Ino quite uncomfortable with belittling an obviously talented girl struggling to compete against many skewed views. Not to mention that the chance of being humiliated also incenses her a bit.

As they finished their exchange, Ten-Ten came out carrying a combat staff made of the alloy capped with bronze on both ends making for an impressive looking weapon.

Twirling it, she said "Ready?"

 **Moments Later**

Stepping out, Sakura removed the leather sheath of her Naginata and hefted it down prompting the blacksmith girl to temporarily drop her anger and get close to inspect the weapon itself.

"Wow! It's beautiful! The blade is obviously from the Nanbokucho style which struck the balance to fight against cavalry and heavy infantry! And the haft is lacquered red cherry wood right? And the cap is made of Iron to add balance to compensate for the large blade right?!" said Ten-Ten going up and down on Sakura's Naginata making the pinkette blush over the attention.

"Yeah…it's a family heirloom from my Great Grandfather during the invasions from the Land of Earth…" explained Sakura with some pride.

Ten-ten nodded pleased and said "It must have served him well!"

Sakura nodded back content and said "It did!"

"Ahem!" exclaimed Ino reminding the girls of their bout as Naruto chuckled scratching the back of his head.

The combatant girls blushed a bit at that and both walked away to adopt their stances.

Sakura dropped the blade low as to start defensively while Ten-Ten surprised them by expertly twirling the staff on her hands and after making the staff go around her back and above she dropped to a very low position that still remained very offensive in intent.

"Oh…" said Ino and Naruto in unison as they realized that the blacksmith girl had a fierce bite after all.

Sakura noticed this as well, so gripping her Naginata tighter, awaited for Ino to declare the start of the bout.

"B-Begin!" suddenly said Ino.

Not waiting a moment, Ten-Ten advanced thrusting her staff straight for Sakura's stomach prompting the pinkette to parry aside turning the Naginata inwards to make for cut at Ten-Ten who simply twirled the staff around as she got into her opponent's guard.

Sakura saw the risk right then and there so remembering her training surprised the blacksmith by thrusting a forward kick that forced her put the staff in between.

The kick connected and Ten-Ten was thrown back though still on her feet. Sakura took the chance and brought the Naginata in a large powerful arc. But the blacksmith smirked and quickly brought her staff to a defensive position.

The blade connected with the Staff emitting a powerful peal that hurt the ears of those watching the fight.

Ten-Ten was surprised by the strength in the blow and was thrown to a side along with her staff prompting her to roll with the blow and stand up quickly again.

"I am no expert but wouldn't that had cut through a regular wooden staff with ease?" asked Naruto with a whisper as Ino just frown and bit her thumbnail.

"Wow, you sure pack punch!" said Ten-Ten flexing her fingers on the staff.

"Seems the staff is the real deal…" commented Sakura surprised that the staff had held though she did noticed that she managed to put a dent on it.

"Sure is! But let's continue, haven't had a good practice in a while!" said Ten-Ten twirling the staff as she charged once again.

This time the blacksmith made quick thrusts that Sakura couldn't block with the same speed so she took a couple of blows to her shoulders and legs avoiding being hit on the face or the stomach.

Ten-Ten was dominating the fight but in that moment of laxity, Sakura made a sideways blow that forced her to defend and was once again thrown away.

"Go Sakura-chan!" suddenly shouted Naruto making Sakura blush a bit and remember that the blonde boy had always been on her corner whether she liked it or not.

"What are you waiting forehead?!" shouted Ino after making the pinkette pop a vein over the nickname.

"They are right…I should end this already. It's obvious Ino planned this from the beginning now though I hope she doesn't expect me to use my Samurai skills…" thought Sakura as Ten-Ten twirled the staff once again faster and faster.

Seeing that the blacksmith was readying the final blow with that distraction, Sakura adopted a strong guard.

At that, Ten-Ten darted very quickly at her with a powerful thrust aimed at her face.

Sakura made to defend, but being slower, Ten-Ten quickly got into her guard and made her thrust. But to her surprise, Sakura moved her head in the last minute barely managing to dodge the attack.

Ten-Ten was distracted for a moment over the impossible dodge, but as she began to retreat, Sakura took a hold of her weapon with her left hand and with the other brought the blade of the Naginata next to Ten-Ten's neck.

"Wow…that's some grip you have Sakura…Guess I lost then" said Ten-Ten in short breaths as she relaxed and basically gave up.

Sakura closed her eyes and letting go of the staff withdrew her blade saying "For a blacksmith you sure have some skills. Where did you learn them?"

"Wahoo! You were awesome Sakura-chan! I never doubted you would win but man seeing you in action is something else!" suddenly shouted Naruto as Ten-Ten was about to reply.

Sakura blushed over the praise though her trembling smile told she was quite glad for it all the same.

Ten-Ten saw this with a nostalgic expression as Ino approached her and said "Now I think I remember you. You were from Konoha, right?"

The Blacksmith girl seemed surprised as Naruto and Sakura who approached her as well.

Scratching the back of her head, Ten-Ten said "Yeah…I guess I am"

"You served the Hyuga right?" said Ino more as a statement than a question.

Sighing, Ten-Ten replied "More like my father did as he is their personal blacksmith. I grew up among the other children of the Hyuga's servants and with the Hyuga children as well"

"Seeing your skills back there I guess you were an Ashigaru right? You had to be" continued Ino quite curious.

Ten-Ten blushed at that and nodding said "Yeah…I was. But turned out I am better for Metallurgic Studies so I transferred out"

Ino was about to press her but Sakura said "Well, it seems a waste if you ask me. You are quite good a warrior"

"Yeah, but your staff was something else! To take such a blow from Sakura-chan and not yield, that alloy of yours is awesome!" complimented Naruto making Ino give up on her inquiry as the blacksmith laughed embarrassed over the praise.

Ten-Ten finally sighed and said "Well, I lost so a bet is a bet, half price it is…"

At that Naruto and Sakura looked kind of embarrassed for the girl was obviously doing her best and struggling to make her business take off.

With that Ten-Ten brought them all inside her store once again and there he took Naruto's measurements and proceeded to cut a haft from the metal pipe, painted it in red and affix the Spear tip on it capping the other side with a simple bronze cover.

Naruto then took it and hefting it admired the great craftsmanship of it all and how it quickly felt as if it was truly his. Something inside told him that this was a very important first step in a long journey to somewhere worth.

Placing the Spear on the ground he straightened up and looking at Ten-Ten he bowed deeply and said "I am most thankful…I know you said half price but I give you my word that I'll repay you tenfold for this Spear! Believe it for I never go back on my word!"

Ten-Ten blushed and laughing embarrassingly said "You don't need to be like that, I am glad that my work is finally recognized if only by students from the Academy"

Sakura stepped forth and added "Don't try to reason much with him when he goes like this…In any case, it's true that your work deserves much more so like him I promise to see you rewarded for this"

Ten-Ten blushed even harder with the praise and the generous promises and replied "Fine, then I'll be seeing you soon at the Academy I guess…"

Ino then paid Ten-Ten for the Spear and as Naruto showed off his new Spear to Sakura, she said to the blacksmith girl "You were an Ashigaru weren't you? I don't think you managed to enter the Academy0s Metallurgic Studies just like that being the daughter of a humble Blacksmith"

Ten-Ten seemed surprised but nodded and said "Yeah…I was"

Seeing Ten-Ten's somewhat troubled expression Ino decided not to further question her though she remained deeply curious for a girl dropping from the Samurai path was rare and much more in one that could improve her social standing so much.

"Don't worry, I won't tell others…In any case, as my friends pointed out, I too will give you a hand making your work known" said Ino with a gentle smile on her face.

Ten-Ten seemed grateful and nodding replied "Sure, thanks!"

 **On Monday**

"I know we said that we would help her with her sales…" commented Ino with a large blush across her face.

"We did give her our word…though I can blame Naruto for prompting us" replied Sakura with a similar expression on her face.

"Look everyone! Superb Metal instruments and weapons from the Soft Hammer! Take a flyer and receive a discount!" shouted Naruto while holding his Spear aloft while dressed quite garishly in a colorful manner as several students passed by.

Sakura and Ino were dressed in their usual outfits though the blacksmith said they wouldn't sell well like that so she adjusted them more and made them reveal a bit more flesh than they wanted. Nevertheless, most of their embarrassment stemmed from Naruto's loud displays.

Ten-Ten observed the show from a table were some of her weapons and instruments were displayed. She giggle at her new friends efforts and was thankful for their help however unexpected It was for them.

As she observed Naruto approaching several students and giving out flyers he suddenly turned to look at her straight in the eye and grinning blinked his left eye and continued his publicity stunts.

Ten-Ten though was left somewhat struck by the small gesture and couldn't help but feel a bit warmer inside…

 **AN: Done!**

 **Boy did that took me long! Hope the extra-long chapter manages to satisfy you. I'll try to update faster.**

 **So far the chapters are pretty uneventful but worry not for several things are coming and as requested by one of you I'll go into deeper detail about the world I am building here since it's quite interesting by itself.**

 **Ideas are always welcome and suggestions too so don't be shy and write them up in your reviews or PM me.**

 **Read, Enjoy and Review!**


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